NTPC and GE Power India has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for feasibility to demonstrate technologies to reduce the carbon footprint of NTPC’s existing coal fired power plants.

This partnership aims to demonstrate technologies for firing higher percentage of torrefied biomass in NTPC’s coal fired units, methanol firing and ammonia firing.

A MoU aims at partnering on research, development and engineering of technologies that will enable NTPC to reduce the amount of coal fired in their units and gradually replace it by co-firing of ‘alternate fuel’ in boiler - both carboneous (methanol, carbon neutral fuel- agri-waste, biomass, etc.); and non-carboneous (such as ammonia).

This will make use of the existing infrastructure and lesser new investment will be required as compared to other decarbonisation options.

As a primary goal, the collaboration is to support NTPC in co-firing of biomass pellets beyond 20 per cent and up to 100 per cent, as well as enabling the co-firing of methanol. It will also explore the possibility of introducing ammonia as a co-firing fuel, and also develop, test and demonstrate technologies that allow a total co-firing with lower carbon fuels in coal fired power plants.