Dy CM rules out Centre's proposal for 2x250 MW thermal power plant

Panaji, Jun 12: Virtually debunking Union Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde's recent proposal to set up 2X250 mw thermal power plant with imported low-ash coal as fuel, Deputy Chief Minister in charge of environment Dr Wilfred de Souza said the fragile environment in Goa does not allow coal-based plants at all.

''My ministry does not accept this proposal at all as it is coal based. We have already been facing coal dust menace in Mormugao Port Trust and despite stringent measures including use of filters, still 10 per cent of the dust pollution prevails,'' Dr De Souza said.

This was in response to a query regarding the Centre's proposal which was fully backed by Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane who said it would promote hinterland transport while the low ash coal could be imported from Australia.

The chief minister also said recently that the Rs 2,000 crore project could be mooted under the private-public-partnership route even as Mr Shinde had assured loan from the Power Finance Corporation of India and the Rural Electficiation Company besides consultancy from the National Thermal Power Corporation Limited.

Mr Shinde said the Centre would help Goa if the state was ready to party with Rs 600 crores as its equity participation in traunches besides providing suitable land for the purpose.

Substantiating his emphatic ''no'' to the coal based plant, Dr De Souza said he was for making Goa a self-sufficient state in Power without depending on the power from the Southern and Westren grids any longer even as it does not have any power generating in the tourist state now.

With a Malaysian company M/S T J Harmony coming forward with a proposal to set up a 130 mw dual cycle combined power plant at a cost of Rs 450 crores on its own recently, there was no need for a polluting coal based plant in Goa where people are eco-sensitive.

The state govenment had to offer 100 acre land and 300 to 400 tonnes of solid waste per day for the project which would be set up on the BOOT basis.

Under the power purchase agreement valid for 30 years, the government had to buy the power at a cost of Rs 2.34 per unit. The plant would use the energy generated out of burning the solid waste besides natural gas. This helps contribute to a permanent solution to solid waste menace in the state, he said.

The file was pending with the director of municipal administration for preparing a detailed project proposal to the Malaysian company so that the latter could come out with all details at the earliest before striking the deal.

It was now in the interest of the state that the municipal administration department cleared the proposal paving way for early grounding of the project which had a two year gestation period, Dr De Souza added.

UNI