Hyderabad, Oct 2026 : The fifth unit of the Yadadri Thermal Power Station (YTPS) in Telangana was synchronised with the electricity grid on Wednesday, marking a significant milestone in the state’s efforts to strengthen its power generation capacity amid rising electricity demand.
Unit 5 was synchronised with the grid at 11:06 am, according to an official release. The unit was subsequently hand-tripped to undertake further operations related to its Commercial Operation Date (COD).
Dr S. Harish, Chairman and Managing Director of Telangana Power Generation Corporation Limited (TGGENCO), congratulated the teams of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and TGGENCO for their coordinated efforts in achieving the milestone.
The project is being developed by TGGENCO at Veerlapalem village in Damaracherla mandal of Nalgonda district. It comprises five units of 800 MW each, taking the total installed capacity to 4,000 MW. The project is divided into two stages, with two 800-MW units under Stage I and three units under Stage II.
Four units — Units 1, 2, 3 and 4 — have already been commissioned and placed under commercial operation. With the synchronisation of the fifth unit, the project has moved closer to completing its planned generation capacity.
The milestone was achieved under the guidance of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister and Energy Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Special Chief Secretary to the Government (Energy) Navin Mittal, and TGGENCO CMD Harish.
YTPS is described as the largest state-owned thermal power plant established in independent India. Launched in 2017, the project has a revised estimated cost of Rs 36,131 crore. Commercial operation of Unit 5 is expected to further strengthen the state’s power supply once the necessary procedures are completed.
The development comes at a time when Telangana is experiencing an unusually sharp rise in electricity consumption. Power demand has climbed to 20,003 MW, compared with the normal October level of around 15,000 MW, according to officials.
The increase of approximately 5,000 MW has been attributed mainly to higher electricity consumption by agricultural pump sets. Domestic consumption has also risen, as temperatures typically associated with March have been recorded in October, increasing the use of cooling appliances.
The commissioning of additional generation capacity is expected to support TGGENCO’s efforts to meet the growing demand, particularly amid concerns over the impact of El Niño conditions on power requirements.
Fuel availability has also emerged as a key issue for the plant. Last month, the state government decided to procure G-9 grade coal from Mahanadi Coalfields and Coal India for YTPS after power generation was affected by a coal shortage.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had expressed serious concern over the interruption in generation caused by inadequate coal supplies.
Deputy Chief Minister Vikramarka had also criticised the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government’s decision to locate the plant far from the coal pithead. He said the distance had resulted in an additional burden of approximately Rs 40,000 crore on the state due to coal transportation costs.
The synchronisation of Unit 5 represents an important step towards utilising the full planned capacity of YTPS. Its commercial operation is expected to contribute to Telangana’s efforts to ensure a more reliable electricity supply as demand continues to rise.
