Udupi Power Corporation Ltd (UPCL), a subsidiary of Adani Power Ltd, will produce an additional 1,600 MW of power at its thermal plant in Udupi by 2020, according to Kishore Alva, Executive Director (Project Development and Corporate Affairs).

At present, the plant produces 1200 MW of power.

Speaking to a few media persons from Mangaluru, who were taken on a visit to the thermal power plant in Udupi on Wednesday, Alva said the company has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Karnataka Government to set up 2X800 MW coal-based power plant in Udupi with an investment of ₹11,500 crore, in its second phase expansion.

Stating that the expansion is in the preliminary stage of land acquisition, he said the project is expected to be completed by 2020. UPCL is paying a compensation of ₹40 lakh per acre for the land losers. The expansion requires around 725 acres of land.

At present, the company has two units of 600 MW each spread across 590 acres in Yellur and Santhuru villages of Udupi district. Set up at a cost of ₹6,000 crore, the commercial production from the unit-1 began in 2010 and unit-2 in 2012.

The power generated at UPCL is evacuated through 220 kV and 400 kV transmission lines and is supplied to five electricity supply companies owned by the Karnataka government in the State.

Jetty at NMPT

He said UPCL maintains its own jetty at New Mangalore Port to handle imported coal. The port handles around 3.5 million tonnes of coal for UPCL a year. The company uses the Konkan Railway network to transport coal from New Mangalore Port to the thermal plant in Udupi.

Alva said about ₹500 crore will be invested for the development of an additional jetty at New Mangalore Port. It will add another six million tonnes of annual handling capacity in the next three years.

UPCL has a 15-year agreement with the coal mining companies in Indonesia and Australia for sourcing coal, he said.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW