BHEL Wins Meja Urja Nigam’s Rs. 21,000 Cr. Thermal Power Plant Order
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), one of India’s leading engineering and manufacturing companies serving the energy, infrastructure, and defence sectors, has secured an EPC contract for a Supercritical Thermal Power Plant (STPP) in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. The order has been awarded by Meja Urja Nigam Private Limited (MUNPL) and is valued at over Rs. 21,000 crore.
BHEL to Develop Three 800 MW Thermal Power Units
Under the contract, BHEL will be responsible for setting up three supercritical thermal power generating units of 800 MW each for Meja Urja Nigam. Scope of work includes design, engineering, manufacturing, supply, construction, erection, testing, and commissioning of the thermal power plant.
According to the company’s stock exchange filing, the project is scheduled to be completed within 70 months from the date of the Notification of Award (NOA), which was issued on 5th June 2026.
BHEL’s Strong Presence in India’s Thermal Power Sector
Bharat Heavy Electricals continues to play an important role in India’s thermal power industry, accounting for more than 55% of the country’s installed utility-scale thermal power generation capacity.
Among its major ongoing projects is the Yadadri Thermal Power Station in Telangana, comprising five units of 500 MW each. The company is also developing Koderma Supercritical Thermal Power Project in Jharkhand, which consists of two units of 800 MW each. In addition, BHEL is developing a 1,320 MW thermal power project in Bihar and a 1,600 MW thermal power plant in Andhra Pradesh.
Rising Power Demand Driving New Thermal Capacity Addition
India’s peak electricity demand reached nearly 250 GW during 2025 and is expected to exceed 270 GW by 2027. The expansion of hyperscale data centres is expected to account for a significant share of the incremental power demand. Data centre capacity in the country is projected to increase from approximately 1.4 GW in 2024 to nearly 9 GW by 2030.
Thermal power continues to serve as the primary source of electricity, ensuring round-the-clock grid reliability and stability. To address the rising electricity demand, Ministry of Power has mandated the addition of coal- and lignite-based thermal generation capacity. The ministry has outlined plans to add around 80 GW of new coal-based capacity by 2032.
Since April 2023, around 16,560 MW of thermal power capacity has been commissioned up to November 2025. Furthermore, approximately 40,345 MW of thermal generation capacity is currently under construction across the country.