The Hindu Business Line : Kochi port SEZ: NTPC arm to take up feasibility study on power supply

Kochi June 11 The Cochin Port Trust has entrusted NTPC Electric Supply Company Ltd (NESCL), a subsidiary of NTPC, to carry out a feasibility study and prepare a detailed project report for providing electric supply arrangements to the port based SEZ at Vallarpadam and Puthuvypeen.

As the power supply to these two areas is very critical for the upcoming projects and in view of the port's commitments to making power available in the area by April 2009, it is imperative to conduct a feasibility study and prepare a DPR for pursuing further course of action.

The port, according to officials, had considered various options like setting up a captive power plant on BOT basis; entrusting the supply of power to Kerala State Electricity Board as part of providing power supply to the PBSEZ area for various projects coming up in the area. It had also explored other alternatives in association with other competent agencies.

Regarding the option of captive power plant, it is felt that the cost of power would be too high. Considering the high cost for captive power, the co-developers also preferred to have KSEB supply, which would be cheaper compared to the captive power plant.

However, the KSEB informed that the approximate cost for bringing power supply to the SEZ's at 110 kv would be to the tune of Rs 110 crore. Besides, they projected a land requirement of 3 acres at Vallarpadam, 4 acres at Puthuvypeen and 15 cents at Chathiath.

Moreover, the board also pointed out that it would take two and a half years to complete the job.

Considering the financial constraints and huge investments, the co-developers of the SEZ project such as DP World, BPCL-KRL and Petronet LNG were also reluctant to share the cost of power supply. Given the situation, the port had decided to explore other possible means of providing power supply in which options of bringing power from Kalamassery through overhead transmission were discussed.

The port had held a meeting with NESCL and Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Kinfra) in this regard wherein it is pointed out that the cost of overhead transmission lines would be much cheaper than underground cabling.

Hence, it was decided to carry out a detailed feasibility study in this regard by entrusting the work to NESCL.