NTPC to add 2,640 MW power in UP

Lucknow, June 11: State-owned power major National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) will set up a new thermal power plant of 1,320 MW capacity and will add fresh capacity of another 1,320 MW at its existing 440 MW Tanda thermal power plant in Ambedkarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh.

The Ambedkarnagar district falls in Akbarpur parliamentary constituency earlier represented by the Chief Minister Mayawati.

The new thermal power plant of 1,320 MW capacity is likely to be set up at Shankargarh in Kaushambi near Allahabbad and it will be a joint venture between the state government and the NTPC. Both the parties would bear the cost of the project on 50-50 basis. The 100 per cent power generated from the proposed new thermal plant will be available to UP. The process of further action on the new project would begin from June 15.

The thermal power project in Shankargarh is in pipeline for over 15 years now. The previous Samajwadi Party government had also taken up this issue with the Centre. Owing to the never ending hostility between the Samajwadi Party and the Congress-led UPA government, no tangible progress could be achieved in the project.

If both the projects materialise, it would be a big boost to the state's economy as it would add fresh capacity of 2,640 MW. The total installed capacity of the UP was 4,087 MW and average generation is 2,500 MW from thermal and 300 MW from hydro.

In Tanda plant two units of 660 MW are proposed to be set up by the NTPC. The CMD of the NTPC T Shankar Lingam was in state capital recently to sign an MPU with the UP government for the expansion of the Tanda plant.

However, the MOU could not be signed as UP insisted for purchasing entire 1,320 MW additional power to be generated from the Tanda expansion project. The official sources said here that the NTPC CMD expressed his inability to guarantee 100 per cent power to UP from the Tanda expansion project as this issue was beyond the brief of the power generator. He added that this issue is to be decided by the Centre.

The CMD however assured that if the Centre accepts the UP's demand then NTPC will have no objection.

The UP government would soon take up the matter with the Centre and after positive signals from the Centre further action will be taken by the state government. The UP Power corporation sources said the matter would soon be sorted out.

The CMD of the NTPC also met Chief Minister Mayawati to ensure the availability of land and water for the Tanda thermal power expansion project. The CM assured him all support from the state government for both the projects.

It may be recalled that the Tanda thermal power project, 4x110 MW was set up by then UP State Electricity Board. The project was taken up in 1977 and commissioned in 1989. In 1992 the NTPC acquired the Tanda plant from the UPSEB. The UP government had to handover the Tanda plant to the NTPC to settle the outstanding dues to the Central PSU. In 1998, the NTPC acquired another thermal power plant Unchaar in Rai Bareli, the Lok Sabha constituent of the Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

UNI