Damodar Valley Corporation has lined up an ambitious expansion plan whereby the central power utility will add a total thermal power generation capacity of 3,720MW in phases by FY2030 at an estimated capital cost of around Rs 28,000 crore.

A significant part of the proposed capacity is expected in Bengal.

DVC has reignited its earlier plan to add a capacity of 1,320MW (two units of 660MW) at Raghunathpur in the Purulia district of Bengal an estimated capex spend of Rs 9,089 crore and the project’s expected timeline is by FY2027.

DVC operates a total capacity of 1200MW (two units of 600MW) at Raghunathpur. By FY2028, DVC plans to add 800MW capacity at Durgapur, where it currently operates a 210MW unit.

In Jharkhand, DVC will also add a capacity of 1600MW(two units of 800MW) byFY2030 at Koderma where it currently operates two units of 500MW.

“All of these are brown-field projects. These are locations where we already have units and land is available for expansion,” said Ram Naresh Singh, chairman of Damodar Valley Corporation, on Monday.

DVC’s own thermal power generation capacity at present is 6750MW and hydel power generation capacity is147.2MWThe power utility said it would invest Rs 1,007 crore and by 2025 it will be developing an 11KV infrastructure for power distribution at 39 locations to supply around 1,500 consumers.

DVC has a total of 301 consumers with a contract demand of 3516 MVA.

“We are also targeting new customers. We have started supplying power at 11kV and our consumer base will increase in the coming years,” said Singh.DVC is also expanding its renewable power generation capacity by adding floating solar projects, ground solar plants and pump storage projects with a combined capacity of 3,650MW.

“If we add the proposed thermal and renewable energy capacities, our present capacity will get doubled,” said Singh.