NTPC JV for power prod co-ordination

Lalitpur (UP), Jan 14: In a bid to achieve better co-ordination amongst all electricity producing companies, power major National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) is planning to set up a joint venture (JV) comprising Power Finance Corporation and other companies.

NTPC chairman T Shankerlingan told UNI here that once the proposed JV gets cabinet approval, the government would buy energy from all the companies and distribute it through a single grid. The NTPC official is here to survey a land to set up a 4000 mw power project. The NTPC has already discussed the setting up of the JV with power promoters, including Reliance and Tata and they have accepted the proposal.

An agreement is expected between the NTPC and power producing companies after the cabinet takes up the issue, possibly this month itself. The details of the production and consumption of power of the JV would be logged online. It would help the new entity keep track of power distribution and supply to the various states or consumers.

UP Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) chairman G B Patnaik said basic facilities were available in Jakhora block of the district to enable the NTPC set up the 4000 mw power project. The Rs 10,000 crore project is expected to start generation in the next four years.

''As most of the NTPC power generating units were in East UP, stress was being laid to set up new projects in West UP and Bundelkhand region of the state,'' Mr Patnaik added.

Mr Patnaik, admitting that the line loss in the state had crossed 60 per cent in some districts, said the power availability in the state would increase in the coming days with start of the closed down units of the Obra thermal power station.

UNI