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Virendra Pandit

Bharuch, April 19 The China Light and Power (CLP) Group, whose turnover in 2007 was $6.5 billion, has announced to invest $125 million (Rs 500 crore) to set up a 100.8-MW wind power project at Samana in Jamnagar district of Gujarat.

The project involves building of 126 turbines of Enercon-E53, each with a capacity of 800 KW.

The wind farm is expected to be completed in two phases. In the first phase, its capacities for 50.4 MW will be completed by June and an equal capacity will be added in the second phase by January 2009.

Upon its full commissioning, the wind farm is expected to reduce nearly two lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, officials said.

Besides, CLP Power India Private Ltd, a 100 per cent subsidiary of the Hong Kong-based CLP Group, is contemplating another investment of nearly Rs 3,500 crore to add 1,050 MW to its existing gas-fired power plant at Pathugan in Bharuch district, provided it manages to get assured supplies of natural gas in Gujarat.

“It is a challenge to get natural gas. We have received the environmental clearance and are talking to gas suppliers in this regard,” said Mr Andrew Brandler, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), CLP Holdings Ltd. At present, this 655 MW plant gets supplies of three million cubic metres a day from Petronet LNG and GSPC.

To add the new capacity of 1,050 MW, it would need another eight million cubic metres of gas a day, Mr Rajiv Mishra, Managing Director, CLP Power India, told newspersons. This plant, having a mixed-fuel capability to use naphtha and natural gas, was set up in 1998 by Gujarat Paguthan Energy Corporation (GPEG) Pvt Ltd.

GPEG was fully acquired by CLP Power India in 2003. It sells its entire output under the terms of a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) to Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd (GUVNL).

The CLP Group, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange-listed and one of the largest foreign investors in the Indian power sector, is also considering to expand renewable energy portfolio such as hydro, biomass and solar energy, besides wind power.

“Although we have invested in nuclear power in China, the scenario in India is quite different as nuclear energy is a political sensitive issue in this country,” Mr Brandler said.

Till date, CLP Power has invested nearly Rs 9,000 crore in its projects in India, but has no plans to hit the capital market at present, Mr Brandler said.

CLP has made investments in the development of three greenfield renewable energy projects totalling 233.6 MW of wind power in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka.

In March 2008, it emerged as the lowest priced-bidder on the price opening for the 1,320-MW coal-fired Jhajjar project in Haryana for which it expects to get the Letter of Intent soon.

Meanwhile, the Gujarat Chief Minister, Mr Narendra Modi, inaugurated the Samana Wind Farm, a CLP Power India initiative, at GPEG complex here.

More Stories on : New Projects | Non-conventional Energy

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