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Central public sector mining and power utility NLC India Ltd has indicated that it has been making a lot of efforts to put its more than ₹17,000-crore joint venture (JV) project in Uttar Pradesh back on schedule after Covid-induced delays.
Neyveli Uttar Pradesh Power Ltd — a 51:49 JV between NLC India Ltd & Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd — is setting up a coal-based supercritical thermal power plant with a capacity of 1980 MW (3 x 660 MW) at Ghatampur, in Kanpur Nagar district in Uttar Pradesh at a cost of ₹17,237.80 crore with original commissioning schedule of Unit I in December 2020, followed by two units at an interval of six months each. The project was approved by the Centre in July 2016. The JV has spent a capex of ₹3,525.18 crore in 2019-20. The cumulative expenditure incurred since the start of the project up to March 2020 was ₹9,199.20 crore.
However, the outbreak of Covid-19 impacted the commissioning of Unit I .
“Though the project schedule was impacted by the pandemic, all out efforts have been made by the management to accelerate project progress and bring it back on schedule by mobilising increased manpower strength of 6,000 as compared to 4,200 during pre-Covid period. Project progress is also being augmented by utilising the incentives and other measures announced by the Central government to revive the economy,” the company said in a statement.
Power purchase pact
Meanwhile, Union Coal Secretary Anil Kumar Jain visited the site on Friday to review the project along with the officials of NLC India and NUPPL and Members of Parliament.
The JV had signed a power purchase agreement with Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd for supplying 75 per cent of the power from the project. The coal supply is linked to Pachwara south coal block in Jharkhand. Bridge coal linkage of 0.5 mt to Ghatampur Project for 2020-21 has been approved by the Ministry of Coal. The remaining quantity will be fulfilled from Talabira II and III mines belonging to the company till the commencement of operation of Pachwara south coal block, according to the latest annual report of NLC India.
NLC India added 1,209 MW during FY20 and 17.5 MW on June 30, 2020. It retired 400 MW to its installed capacity. As a result, the total installed capacity of NLC India is 4,661.06 MW.
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