Adani Power to commission 4th super critical unit at Mundra

Adani Power Ltd is set to bring on stream, the entire 4,620-MW proposed thermal power capacity at Mundra by February.

According to sources, the fourth 660 MW super critical unit of the project will be commissioned this month with the final and fifth of such units to be on stream in February. The company had set up four units of 330 MW each at Mundra in the initial phases.

Hurdles ahead

Considering that APL Mundra project is largely based ion imported coal— especially imports from Indonesia — the added capacity may not augur well on the company's finances. This is in view of the introduction of benchmark prices by Indonesia beginning September; dramatic fall of rupee against dollar coupled with recent hardening of international prices vis-à-vis the long-term tariff agreements in place between APL Mundra and different State utilities.

In a telephonic interview to

Business Line in August, the group Chairman, Mr Gautam Adani, said that the “sudden change in law” by the Indonesian Government, was not envisaged during signing of PPAs (power purchase agreements). “This is an issue regulator and distributors in India should consider,” he said. The message was clear: The existing PPAs have proved unviable and needs to be renegotiated.

The situation has further worsened in the following days due to unrelenting slide of rupee (thereby increasing the landed cost) and an unusual hardening of coal prices in the last few weeks.

According to a leading Indian coal importer, irrespective of an apparent easing of global demand for energy commodities including coal, the 5,300-gcv (gross calorific value) Indonesian coal is selling at $45 f.o.b., attracting a landed (CIF) price of $59-60 a tonne in Indian ports during the last fortnight. The 6,500-gcv South African coal is holding firm at $102 f.o.b. ($119 CIF).

“Though there is hardly any demand in the market, the internal coal prices are holding firm due to lack of offers,” an importer said.

APL's shares closed at Rs 74.40, up by a little over one per cent, on the BSE on Thursday.