en.Wedoany.com Reported - NLC India Limited (NLCIL) has signed a Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) with National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) to develop a 1.08 GW coal-fired captive thermal power plant in Angul, Odisha, eastern India.

The agreement was signed in New Delhi, with officials from the Ministry of Coal and the Ministry of Mines in attendance. The project will feature four 270 MW generating units, with NLCIL and NALCO holding equal ownership stakes in the joint venture (JV), which will be responsible for financing, construction, ownership, and operation of the power plant.

The additional power capacity is intended to meet the higher energy demand arising from NALCO's expansion of its aluminum smelter in Angul. The project will add 500,000 tonnes per year of capacity, with commissioning planned for 2030-31, aiming to provide reliable long-term power supply for planned industrial growth in the region. NALCO's expansion is expected to require an additional 800 MW of reliable captive power.

The joint venture will also procure 200-250 MW of renewable energy to meet renewable energy consumption obligations. NLCIL will support this demand through long-term power purchase agreements from its renewable energy portfolio or group captive arrangements.

NLCIL has experience in coal mining and power generation and will secure coal supply from its nearby Machhakata coal mine (close to the Angul site). In February this year, NLCIL and NALCO signed an agreement to jointly develop a total of 1.2 GW of thermal and renewable energy projects.