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U.P. Govt. signs pact for mega power project

Photo: Subir Roy

Towards a better future: An MoU for the power project between Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd and NTPC was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Mayawati in Lucknow on Thursday.

LUCKNOW: The National Thermal Power Corporation, now known simply as NTPC, will set up the 1320-megawatt ( 2 X 660 MW ) thermal power plant in Meja tehsil of Allahabad district in Uttar Pradesh. A joint venture agreement was signed on Thursday between the UP Government, NTPC and UP Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (UPRVUNL) to establish and operate the Meja power station.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed in the presence of UP Chief Minister Mayawati at a function held at her 5, Kalidas Marg residence. UPRVUNL Chairman G. B. Patnaik, State Principal Secretary (Energy) V. N. Garg and NTPC Chairman and Managing Director T. Sankaralingam were the signatories to the agreement which envisages a joint venture company.

To be built at an estimated cost of about Rs.6,000 crore, the project is likely to be completed in 2011. UP will get 75 per cent of the total power generated by the Meja power unit. The share capital of UPRVUNL and NTPC would be 50 per cent each in the joint venture with the Utpadan Nigam to invest Rs.1,080 crore in the project. About 2,500 acres of land near Koharar Ghat in Meja tehsil has been identified for the plant, township and ash disposal area and about 100 cusecs of water for the project would be drawn from the rivers Tons and Ganga.

For the first time in the State, the “super critical boiler” technique would be used in the Meja project.

Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said her Bahujan Samaj Party was aware that power is the most critical input for the development of the State and improving electric supply was one of the priority areas of her government. She said a target of creating an additional capacity of 1,250 MW had been fixed in the current financial year. An additional capacity of around 10,000 MW would be created by the end of the 11th Five Year Plan in 2012.

Describing the MoU as a positive beginning towards ending the power crisis, Ms. Mayawati blamed the previous governments for UP’s power woes.

Mr. Sankaralingam said the Meja power project would act as a catalyst for all-round development of UP. Terming UP as the “mother State” of NTPC, he said it was in Singrauli that the Corporation built its first power station and 7,180 MW alone was contributed by NTPC’s power plants in the State.

The NTPC CMD said in addition to setting up the Meja unit, the expansion of the Tanda thermal power station in Ambedkar Nagar district would be undertaken at an estimated cost of Rs.6,000 crore. The first 660-MW units of Meja and Tanda will begin power generation by the end of the 11th Plan, he added.

Meanwhile, two Power-Purchase Agreements were signed on Wednesday between the UP Power Corporation Limited and NTPC for enabling the State to get 500 MW power from NTPC’s units in Baadh (Bihar) and North Karanpura (Jharkhand).

According to Mr. Patnaik, who is also the Chairman of UP Power Corporation Limited, 200 MW from the Baadh unit would be available in 2009 with another 300 MW from the North Karanpura plant in 2010.

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