The Bihar government has provided a renewed nod for the establishment of a 2,400 MW (three units of 800 MW each) coal-fired thermal power plant in Bhagalpur district at Pirpainti. Initially, the state government had planned a 1,320 MW thermal plant (two units of 660 MW each) at the same location. However, due to various reasons, the project was shelved after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in February 2014 involving Bihar State Power Generation Company, NHPC, and Pirpainti Bijlee Company.
With the return of the NDA government in Bihar, led by Nitish Kumar, the decision to set up a power plant at Pirpainti has been revived, this time with a total capacity of 2,400 MW. The Bihar government’s latest decision was communicated to the Union coal secretary, Amrit Lal Meena, in a letter dated February 2, by Sanjeev Hans, the principal secretary of the energy department. The letter seeks the allotment of a coal block for the proposed plant.
Highlighting that the Bihar government has already acquired 1020.60 acres of land valued at approximately Rs 2,000 crore for the thermal power plant at Pirpainti, the energy secretary’s letter emphasizes the state’s commitment to the project.
Bihar’s Energy Minister, Bijendra Prasad Yadav, stated that the government’s decision is a significant milestone in enhancing the energy security of both the nation and the state. Insiders in the energy department reveal that the state government’s latest decision regarding the Pirpainti plant was taken after receiving approval from the central government.