The Hindu Business Line : AP seeks Rs 8,000 cr to bring down power T&D losses

Hyderabad, Nov. 14 The Andhra Pradesh Government has charted out a Rs 8,000-crore plan under the Union Government’s Rs 50,000-crore Accelerated Power Development Reforms Programme for use during XI Plan.

A detailed project report will be submitted to the Government early next month. The funds under this programme are aimed at bringing down the transmission and distribution (T&D) losses to 15 per cent by the end of the Plan period, according to the Union Minister of State for Power, Mr Jairam Ramesh.

This project also includes establishment of baseline data and IT applications for energy accounting, auditing and IT-based consumer service centres.

Addressing a press conference here today after meeting with the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, Mr Ramesh said the AP Transco needs to be congratulated for bringing down T&D losses substantially. The AP Genco and BHEL project to set up country’s first integrated coal gasification plant with an outlay of Rs 950 crore, will secure Rs 300 crore grant which has been recently approved by the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, for the project’s uniqueness.

The Union Cabinet will take up the issue of clearance for 600 MW project to be implemented by Singareni Collieries Company Ltd, in Adilabad district, he said.

Mr Ramesh also complimented AP Genco for being the first one to try out 800 MW supercritical technology by setting up 2x800 MW plant at Krishnapatnam in the State. This will be commissioned by 2012. While AP Genco will be able to add about 1,000 MW by next year, its capacity will go up from 7,000 MW now to about 22,000 MW within 10 years making it one of the largest utility in the country.

In a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office, Dr Reddy said that a project report on APDRP will be submitted to the Government in the first week of December.

Referring to the proposed 2x1000 MW nuclear plant in Andhra Pradesh, the Union Minister said that a team from Nuclear Power Corporation is set to shortly visit the State and inspect the sites for follow up work.

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