Tribunal directs CERC to hear Sasan launch date afresh

The Appellate Tribunal for Electricity has allowed Sasan Power’s appeal against Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC)’s June 20 order on the commercial operation date of the Sasan ultra mega power project.

APTEL also set aside CERC’s order and directed it to decide on the matter afresh, including the issue of maintainability of the petition filed by the Western Region Load Dispatch Centre raised by Sasan Power, without being influenced by its earlier findings.

Sasan Power is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Power. It had said the first unit of the 3,960 MW plant was commissioned on March 31 this year. CERC had set aside a certificate issued by an Independent Engineer (IE) to declare the commercial operation date (March 31) of Sasan plant’s first 660 MW unit based on the petition filed by the Western Centre.

CERC disagreed with the commissioning date. For a power plant to be commissioned, the unit must operate for 72 consecutive hours at, or above, 95 per cent of its contracted capacity. The Western Centre had submitted that 3,960 MW Sasan Power generated only 153 MW and hit a maximum of 165 MW on March 30, 2013, the regulator said.

Sasan Power had appealed to the tribunal against the order.

“We do not understand why the Central Commission decided the matter on merits hurriedly at the admission stage itself without deciding the issue on maintainability raised by the appellant (Sasan Power) and without hearing the appellant and the procurers of power on merits of the case. Thus, we find that it is a clear case of violation of principles of natural justice,” the tribunal order said.

Sasan Power is implementing the 3,960 MW project. The commissioning gains importance for Reliance Power as the first financial year of operation would be pushed ahead to 2013-14.

> shanker.s@thehindu.co.in

COMMENT NOW