Asom Govt signs tripartite agreement on power sector

New Delhi, May 30 (UNI) The Government of Asom today signed a tripartite agreement regarding transfer of Bongaigaon Thermal Power Station (BTPS) infrastructure to National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and APGCL.

The agreement for purchase of power from the project is also being signed.

The project is envisaged to be completed during the 11th plan period. Unit 1 and Unit 2 is expected to be commissioned by 2010-11 and Unit 3 in 2011-12. successful commissioning of this project will go a long way to mitigate the power shortage in Asom.

This will also reduce over dependence on Hydro power.

The MoUs were signed by NTPC Managing Director T Shankaran and P C Sharma Chief Secretary Asom in the presence of the Power Secretary Anil Rajdhan and State Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.

After signing the MoU, Asom CM Tarun Gogoi told newsmen that his Government is taking bold steps to convert the non-performing assets, to performing assets in power sector under reform and restructuring programme.

He said the languishing Karbi Langpi Hydro Electric Project has already been commissioned through APGCL - the successor generation company of the Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) within a short period and dedicated the project to the people of Asom on April 6, 2007.

He said the 240 Mega Watt BTPS of APGCL, remained inoperative since 1998 because of the various problems mainly due to irregular supply of coal. This resulted in low plant load factor (PLF) and consequent uneconomical operation.

The CM said the NTPC has come forward to set up a new 500 MW coal based power plant with fuel gas de-sulphurisation (FGD) technology for using Asom coal from upper Asom coal fields of Coal India Limited (CIL).

The plant capacity has subsequently been increased to 750 MW.

NTPC has already obtained the coal linkage of 1.65 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA) from North East Coal Fields (NECF) and additional 0.97 MTPA from the Eastern Coal Fields Limited (ECL).

Mr Gogoi revealed that after the introduction of the new industrial policy for the State, there have been tremendous response from the corporate sector for the setting up of projects in the State, but the foremost requirement for the setting up of any industrial project is power.

So the State Government is giving more attention towards the generation of more power in the State, he added.

UNI