KAYAMKULAM. NTPC Limited has achieved a significant milestone in India’s power sector by successfully demonstrating methanol firing in a gas turbine at its Rajiv Gandhi Combined Cycle Power Plant (RGCCPP) in Kayamkulam, Kerala. After nearly five years of largely remaining inactive, the plant has returned to the grid with India’s first utility-scale methanol-fired gas turbine operation. In collaboration with BHEL, Gas Turbine-2 (GT-2) was successfully synchronised with the state grid, operated continuously for over three hours and achieved a peak load of 40 MW. The initiative was led by NTPC’s Engineering Division’s Energy Transition and Policy Research (ET&PR) group, in coordination with NTPC Kayamkulam and Operations Services.
The demonstration highlights methanol’s potential as an alternative fuel for reviving underutilised gas-based power assets, reducing dependence on imported fuels and supporting renewable energy integration. It also demonstrates the possibility of adapting existing gas turbine infrastructure to multiple fuels, including methanol, LNG and naphtha. By improving the utilisation of existing assets, the initiative could offer a flexible source of dispatchable power, particularly during peak demand periods, while contributing to energy security and a more sustainable power generation mix.
Building on this achievement, NTPC plans further studies to assess the technical feasibility, required modifications and potential for sustained and full-load operation, along with large-scale deployment across gas-based power plants. The successful trial marks an important step towards combining innovative fuel technologies with renewable energy, storage and flexible generation to ensure affordable, reliable and cleaner electricity for India’s growing power needs.
