The Hindu Business Line : NTPC expansion project `on course' — Commissions 500-MW unit VII at Ramagundam

NATIONAL Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has commissioned its 500-MW unit seven expansion project at its Ramagundam superthermal power station located in Karimnagar district, thereby taking its overall capacity there to 2,600 MW. This unit would cater to Goa, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The NTPC top brass maintained that it was on course to complete its proposed 9,370-MW expansion project across the country during the Tenth Plan.

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, the Union Power Minister, Mr P.M. Sayeed, and the Chairman and Managing Director of NTPC, Mr C.P. Jain, said that the Centre accords highest priority to the development and expansion of the power sector and plans to cover all unelectrified villages in the next five years. Out of 5,85,000 villages, about 1,25,000 villages are yet to be electrified.

Mr Jain said that the NTPC unit was completed in record time of 37 months. This project has firmed up coal linkages from Western Coal Fields for 2.5 million tonnes of coal. There is no problem of coal linkage and this works out competitive with the price offered by Singareni Collieries Company Ltd. Referring to the NTPC expansion strategy, Mr Jain said that NTPC had planned to create additional capacity of 9,370 MW during the Tenth Plan period and 11,558 mw during the EleventhPlan. Against the proposed expansion plans, about 2,000 MW was already commissioned and another 8,490 MW is at various stages of process. Further, another 5,080 MW of generation capacity across the country are at various stages of tendering process. "We are confident that the projected target of 9,370 mw would be met during the Plan period."

When asked to speak about new projects in Andhra Pradesh, Mr Jain said that as per NTPC strategy, it is not required to locate a plant in the State where power is supplied. Therefore, out of the 2,000-MW plant at Talcher, about 482 MW would be earmarked for Andhra Pradesh. Likewise, out of the seventh unit, some power would go to southern States.

The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, while complimenting the NTPC for completing the power project in record time, sought financial assistance of Rs 200 crore for irrigation projects in the State.