NTPC to enhance capacity to 51,000 MW by 2012

Chennai, Nov 10: State-owned power major NTPC Ltd will enhance its capacity to more than 51,000 MW by the year 2012, company Chairman and Managing Director T Sankaralingam said today.

Addressing a press conference here, he said the NTPC has decided to enhance the 11th Plan capacity addition target from 17,333 MW to 21,941 MW, making it a 51,000+ MW, doubling the existing power generation capacity by 2012.

Stating that it was planned to make the NTPC a 75,000+ MW company by 2017, he said currently, the capacity for 10,840 MW was under construction, 3,120 MW under the process of placing orders and 2,980 MW under tendering.

With the aim of emerging as an integrated power major, NTPC was entering coal mining business and it had been allocated coal mining blocks. It planned to produce about 50 MT of coal by 2017 to meet 20 to 25 per cent of its total coal requirement from its own mines.

By 12th Plan period, NTPC would be the largest coal producer in the country next only to Coal India Limited (CIL), he added.

Mr Sankaralingam said the company had also signed an MoU with Singareni Colleries Company Ltd to set up a joint venture company for taking up various activities in coal and power sectors.

He said the NTPC had also ventured into hydro sector by implementing projects at Koldam (800 MW), Loharinag Pala Hydro Power Project (600 MW) and Tapovan Vishnugad Hydro Project (520 MW).

UNI