NLC India Ltd has lined up investments of about ₹37,000 crore in Odisha for a proposed 3,200 megawatt ultra-supercritical thermal power plant, a beach sand mineral processing facility and a coal-gasification project linked to fertiliser production. The plan was announced as the state-owned miner and power producer expands its coal, power generation and downstream mineral activities in the state.
The proposed thermal power plant is estimated to cost ₹35,000 crore and is expected to comprise four units of 800 MW each. NLC India expects the project to generate employment for around 4,000 people. The company said the location and land particulars were at an advanced stage of finalisation.
“The construction of the Talabira power plant is underway. This 3,200 mw ultra-supercritical thermal power plant is being planned in addition to the Talabira plant. Location and land particulars are at an advanced stage of finalisation,” an NLC India executive said, according to the company’s announcement.
The investment agreement was signed in Mumbai by I S Jasper Rose, executive director (mines and land) at NLC India, and Aboli Sunil Naravane, managing director of the Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, additional chief secretary of the industries department Hemant Sharma and NLC India chairman-cum-managing director Prasanna Kumar Acharya were present.
The new proposal is separate from NLC India’s ongoing Talabira power project in western Odisha. That project comprises three 800 MW units and carries an estimated investment of about ₹27,213 crore. The company awarded Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd the engineering, procurement and construction contract for the Talabira project in January 2024. The plant is linked to the Talabira II and III opencast coal mines, which together have an annual production capacity of 20 million tonnes.
NLC India’s coal base in Odisha has also expanded through the Machhakata coal block in Angul district, which has a planned capacity of 30 million tonnes a year, and the New Patrapara South block, planned for 12 million tonnes a year. The company said development of these resources could strengthen the fuel supply base for its longer-term operations.
The company has also entered the captive power segment through a partnership with National Aluminium Company Ltd. The two public sector enterprises signed a joint venture agreement in July for a 1,080 MW captive thermal power plant at Angul, with each holding a 50 per cent stake. The facility is intended to meet the power requirements of Nalco’s aluminium operations.
The ₹2,000 crore beach sand mineral processing facility is expected to create another 500 jobs. NLC India said Odisha’s coastline contains deposits of heavy minerals that could support downstream processing and mineral-based industries. The proposed facility would process these minerals rather than limit activity to the extraction and sale of raw materials.
NLC India and the Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha will also examine the technical feasibility and scope of a coal-gasification project. The proposed process would use domestic coal to produce syngas, which can serve as a feedstock for ammonia and other chemicals used in fertiliser manufacturing. The company has not announced a final location, investment amount or implementation timeline for this project.
