— Photo: Rajeev Bhatt

FOR CAPACITY ADDITION: Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde along with Secretary, Ministry of Power, Anil Razdan (left), at the Chief Secretaries and Power Secretaries conference in New Delhi on Monday.

NEW DELHI: A plan has been drawn up to add nearly 70,000 MW of generation capacity during the next five years. Along with this, transmission network expansion and a matchingdistribution augmentation are on the anvil, Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said on Monday.

A "working group" constituted to prepare a comprehensive plan for the power sector estimated that an investment of more than Rs. 10 lakh crore would be required for the expansion during 2007-2012, including about Rs. 4,10,000 crore for utility based generation and IPPs, and a Rs. 4,27,000-crore investment in the transmission, distribution and rural electrification segments.

Mr. Shinde was inaugurating a conference of the Chief Secretaries and the Power Secretaries of States and Union Territories on power-related issues here.

Critical importance

Referring to the recent growth of the economy at 8-10 per cent, he said that for this rate to be sustained, "our responsibility in the power sector assumes critical importance. We have to not only close the gap in terms of the present energy shortages but also expand capacity at a rate commensurate with the overall growth rate of the economy."

Two more ultra mega power projects, one coastal and the other pithead, were under the bidding process. For four such projects the bidding process would start soon.

The capacity for inter-regional transfer would be increased from about 11,500 to 37,000 MW during the next five years. This augmentation of the national grid, along with the setting up of a power exchange, would make an all-India electricity market operational.

Assures help

Pointing out that these efforts were not adequate to meet the increasing challenge of energy shortage, Mr. Shinde asked the State Governments to take up new projects and assured them of all possible Central help.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail