Unit 1 of India's Udangudi Ultra-Supercritical Thermal Power Project Commences Operation

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 7, Unit 1 of the Udangudi Ultra-Supercritical Thermal Power Project in Tamil Nadu, India, commenced operation. The unit has an installed capacity of 660MW and is part of Phase I of the Udangudi Ultra-Supercritical Thermal Power Project. The project is being implemented by an enterprise under the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation, with BHEL responsible for the main equipment and EPC.

Located in the Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu, Phase I of the Udangudi project involves the construction of two 660MW ultra-supercritical coal-fired units, with a total installed capacity of 1320MW. The EPC contract for the project was signed in December 2017, adopting ultra-supercritical coal-fired technology, with a fuel scheme covering both domestic Indian coal and imported coal. According to project data previously released by the Central Electricity Authority of India, the original estimated investment for Phase I was approximately INR 130.77 billion, which was later revised upward to approximately INR 150.77 billion in the latest estimate.

As of August 2025, the overall progress of Phase I of the Udangudi project, as recorded by the Central Electricity Authority of India, stood at approximately 95%, with both Units 1 and 2 in the final stages of construction. The CEA's list of under-construction thermal power projects updated at the end of 2025 still listed Unit 1 as a 660MW unit under construction, scheduled to enter the trial operation phase in 2026. With Unit 1 now in operation, half of the installed capacity of Phase I has entered operational status.

BHEL is responsible for the engineering and implementation of the boilers, turbines, generators, and major auxiliary systems for the Udangudi project. Once both units of the project are fully operational, the total installed capacity will reach 1320MW, further expanding the base thermal power capacity in Tamil Nadu. The latest thermal power project progress page of the Central Electricity Authority of India has been updated with data for the quarter ending June 2026, and Udangudi continues to be included in the tracking scope of key projects under execution.