Vallur Thermal Power Station is a power plant located in Athipattu Pudunagar, Vallur in Thiruvallur district, North Chennai, India. The power plant is operated by NTPC Tamil Nadu Energy Company Limited, a joint venture between NTPC Limited and TANGEDCO and has three units with 500 MW each. In January 2014, the units in the power plant achieved a record generation of 24.09 million units (kWh) of electricity. The project adds nearly 24 million units a day to the grid. Tamil Nadu is the major beneficiary of power generated from this facility (about 750 MW), while some of it is supplied to Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Puducherry. The plant will consume of coal a year. Coal for the plant will be brought from Orissa through ship to Ennore Port, from where it will be transported by pipe conveyor crossing Ennore Creek. Location The power plant is located on a triangular tract of land between Ennore Creek and Athipattu Pudhunagar railway station, southwest of Ennore Port, Chennai. Construction The plant was established under the mega power project policy. The erstwhile Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) and the NTPC, in a joint venture, formed the NTPC Tamil Nadu Energy Company Limited. The foundation stone for the Vallur thermal plant was laid on 5 September 2007, with an estimated cost of 80 billion (€100 million), and the 19,900-million main plant package to supply steam generators and turbine for stage I was awarded to Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), a state-run power equipments manufacturer, on 13 August 2007. The projected was constructed in two phases: phase I with two 500 MW units at a cost of 54 billion and phase II with one 500 MW unit at a cost of 30 billion. Initially expected to be operational by 2010, the project was delayed due to the late implementation of the coal-handling facility established by the BHEL. Erection of the boiler column began on 5 January 2009. In September 2009, the 130 million contract to supply units for Vallur was given to BHEL, which supplied and installed steam generator and steam turbine packages. BHEL was responsible for the design, engineering manufacture, supply, erection and commissioning of the steam generators, turbine generators, electrostatic precipitators and associated auxiliaries, and controls and instrumentation systems in the plant. The boiler drum of Unit I was erected in June 2010. Unit I was commissioned in March 2012 but operating at