Balco to set up a 1200 MW Thermal Power Plant

New Delhi, Oct 9: The privatised Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Chhattisgarh State Electricity board for the setting up of a 1200 Mega watts coal based power project.

According to a BALCO release issued here today, the thermal project envisages an investment of Rs 5,000 crore and is estimated tobe completed in 40 months, once all the regulatory and statutory approvals are received.

Recent studies done by reputed autonomous bodies have all proven that Chhattisgarh is among the top three states in the country for new investments in core sector industries. I am very happy to announce that with several ongoing projects coming on stream soon, we will double our power generation and the people of Chhattisgarh will face no more power shortages from Diwali, next year. The Balco project will also take care of the increased demand required for projected industrial growth in the future." Speaking on the occasion Anil Agarwal, Chairman, BALCO- a subsidiary of the Sterlite Industries said ALCO and Vedanta Resources group companies will invest the estimated cost outlay of Rs 5,000 crore. The State Goverment will help insecuring cost linkage/coal mines from the state that has more than adequate coal supplies.

Meanwhle, the Bilaspur based South Eastern Coal fields Limited (SECL) has decided to double its production from 35 Million Tonnes per year to 70 MT per annoum.

UNI