Rs 10 trillion needed to increase generation capacity by 78,000 MW

New Delhi, Jun 27 (UNI) The government today said Rs ten lakh crore will have to be invested to increase electricity generation in the country by 78,000 MW over the next four to five years.

Terming it as a challenge, Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said finding institutions, companies, project manager, workmen and vendors who will deliver all this phenomenal work in the required time frame was also daunting task ahead.

''Improving distribution will involve a lot more investment than in the past, coupled with a lot of technology inputs on a massive scale,'' he, said while inaugurating 'India Electricity 2007' conference.

The Minister said that there is a need to include central and state Public Sector Undertakings, Indian and foreign investors, equipment suppliers and financiers.

''It is not enough only to generate more power. We have to ensure that the current high levels of Aggregate Technical and Commercial losses come down to 15 per cent in the next few years so that we derive full benefits of the stupendous capacity addition efforts.'' The entire value chain in the generation and consumption of electricity starting from coal extraction right down to the more efficient use of energy needed to be constantly geared up and streamlined to make them more productive and efficient, he said.

Currently the government is trying to overcome current shortages of about 13,717 MW or 13 per cent of the country's requirement and increase generating capacity by ten per cent.

All major stakeholders from the power sector, including senior officials from utilities, independent power producers, regulators, investment bankers were participating in the meet.

The conference was jointly organised by FICCI and the power ministry.

UNI