The Hindu Business Line : Power projects: TN gets proposals from 15 cos

Powerhouse
The Tamil Nadu Govt has received proposals for about 28,725 MW capacity.
Reliance has submitted a proposal to set up a 3,000 MW-power plant.
NTPC is also looking at a 4,000-MW power project in Nagapattinam district.

Chennai , Nov. 26

Reliance Energy Ltd, National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd and Essar Power are some of the companies that have shown interest in setting up power projects in Tamil Nadu.

The Tamil Nadu Government has received proposals for about 28,725 MW of capacity from 15 companies.

The proposals include a 4,000 MW ultra mega power project, which the State Government wanted the Centre to be located in Tamil Nadu.

Apart from the two projects it has announced in Tamil Nadu, the NTPC is also looking at a 4,000 MW power project in Nagapattinam district.

According to reliable sources, the Tamil Nadu Government is keen that the NTPC consider the possibility of putting up this super thermal power project.

Coast-based

All the proposals are for coast-based thermal power plants, according to the sources.

Reliance Energy Ltd has submitted a proposal to set up a 3,000 MW power plant, which, according to the sources, is part of the multi-product special economic zone that the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group has proposed in Tamil Nadu.

In September, Mr Anil Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, had outlined investment plans of Rs 12,000 crore, which included Rs 10,000 crore in a multi-product special economic zone.

The special economic zone was to include a desalination plant and a 1,000 MW integrated power project.

The investment proposals include some projects for which memoranda of understanding were signed with the promoters during 1991-96.

These are Tri-Sakthi Energy (P) Ltd for a 525 MW project, India Power Project Ltd - 1,000 MW, SPIC Energy (P) Ltd - 1,000 MW, Chennai Power Company - 1,000 MW, and Cuddalore Thermal Power Project - 1,320 MW, for which the Government has said that a power purchase agreement has been signed.

More proposals

The other proposals are: Ashok Leyland Projects, First Corp Petrochem, UTL Utility Systems, Essar Power, GMR Power, Coal & Oil Company LLC, Dubai, Trichy Power Project - 1,000 MW each; Empee Power & Infrastructure Ltd - 1,200 MW; Neyveli Lignite Corporation at Jayamkondam - 2,000 MW; EDF Portugal (Spain) - 2,000 MW; and NTPC - 4,000 MW near Tirukkuvalai in Nagapattinam and 2,000 MW at Cheyyur, about 100 km from Chennai.

At a Power Ministers' conference in Delhi recently, Mr N. Veeraswami, Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister, wanted to know whether the State could enter into agreements with the project promoters to buy power and also to sell surplus power, especially since the Electricity Act specified that States could buy power only through tariff-based international competitive bidding.

Capacity addition

Besides these project proposals, the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board has lined up 6,600 MW of capacity addition during the Eleventh Five Year Plan period — through its own projects, through joint ventures and as the State's share of Central sector projects.

The TNEB proposes to add 500 MW each of coal-based power at the North Chennai and Mettur thermal power stations, an additional 95 MW gas-based plant at Valuthur and 60 MW of hydro power at the Bhavani Kattalai barrages.

The joint venture projects include 1,000 MW with Neyveli Lignite Corporation at Tuticorin (of which Tamil Nadu's share will be 495 MW), 1,000 MW with NTPC at north Chennai (Tamil Nadu's share being 716 MW).

The TNEB has also included 463 MW as its share from the 1,000 MW second unit of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant, 325 MW from NLC's thermal power station expansion and 167 MW from the 500 MW MAPS Fast Breeder Reactor.

The TNEB also proposes 1,000 MW expansion on its own at Tuticorin, 500 MW at Ennore and 500 MW through the Kundah pumped storage hydro-electric project.