NTPC Kayamkulam to pioneer methanol-based power generation in India

Experimental electricity production using methanol is expected to begin at the Rajiv Gandhi Combined Cycle Power Project in Kayamkulam before the end of this year.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The Rajiv Gandhi Combined Cycle Power Project (NTPC Kayamkulam) is set to launch a pilot project to generate electricity using methanol, marking a first-of-its-kind initiative in India.

The NTPC recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited to demonstrate methanol firing in the plant’s existing gas turbine system.

Methanol is a clean-burning fuel that produces fewer harmful emissions than traditional fuels. The Phase 1 “test firing” will last for a year. If successful, the methanol usage could reduce power generation costs, support a circular carbon economy and lower emissions.

“Experimental electricity production using methanol is expected to begin before the end of this year. While a few countries have successfully used methanol for power generation with gas turbines, this is the first such initiative in India. The test firing will continue for 12 months,” says an NTPC official.

The pilot project will be implemented in two phases. In Phase 1, methanol firing is planned at 40% to 50% of the turbine system’s load. “Based on the test results of Phase 1, necessary modifications will be made to enable 100% load operation,” the official adds.

The NTPC initiated the project as part of its efforts to explore alternative fuel options that can optimise the use of existing gas infrastructure, facilitate renewable energy integration and reduce carbon emissions.

Officials say that methanol can be produced domestically, which could help eliminate the challenges of gas availability and expensive imports. According to the NTPC website, the technology could be considered for implementation in other NTPC gas turbines based on the “techno-commercial viability and results of the demonstration project.”

The Kerala State Electricity Board had stopped drawing power from the 359-MW naphtha-fuelled NTPC- Kayamkulam plant in 2017 due to high costs, leaving the gas turbines at the unit inoperative. This led the NTPC to shift its focus towards solar energy and other alternatives. In 2022, a 92-MW floating solar power project was commissioned at the unit.