TN to get 2 mega ultra power projects: Shinde

Chennai, Sep 5 (UNI) Tamil Nadu is likely to get two mega ultra power projects of 4,000 MW each at a total investment of about Rs 32,000 crore, Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde announced here today.

Responding to a plea made by Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister Arcot Veerasamy seeking permission to set up two ultra mega power projects at Cheyyur and Marakkanam, he said the Union Power Ministry would send a team in a day or two to undertake feasibility studies and identify the site.

He was speaking after laying the foundation stone for the 2 X 500 MW thermal power project at Vallur in neighbouring Thiruvallur district.

Mr Shinde said both the projects could use a common port for import of coal. A new port would come up in Cheyyur as part of the project with the capacity to handle 30 million tonnes of imported coal. The Ministry would formally accord sanction after studying the team's report. The two projects, likely to come up within a radius of ten km, would be implemented in the 12th plan period, he added.

Mr Veerasamy said the site had been identified for the Cheyyur plant and site for the Marakkanam plant would be identified soon.

Mr Shinde announced that an additional unit of 500 MW at the Vallur complex would be set up. While the first unit would be commissioned by November 2010, the second one would be done by March 2011. Power generated from the Vallur plants would be shared among the four southern states and the entire 1,500 MW would be added in the 11th plan itself.

UNI