Karnataka - Bangalore   

State, BHEL to sign pact for joint venture projects

BANGALORE: In a bid to make Karnataka self-reliant in the power sector, the State Government and Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL) have decided to sign an agreement for three joint venture thermal power projects with a total capacity of 2,600 MW.

A 1,600-MW power project (two units of 800 MW each) will be established at Yeramaras in Raichur district, and two 500 MW projects would come up at Yadlapur in Raichur district and in Bellary. The formal agreement between the Government and BHEL would be signed on September 15, Minister for Energy K.S. Eshwarappa announced on Thursday.

The advantage of the joint venture projects was that the entire power generated would be made available to the State. The first unit (500 MW) of the Bellary Thermal Power Station (BTPS) had already begun operations, and the unit was generating about 140 MW now. Generation was expected to stabilise at 500 MW by the first week of next month, Mr. Eshwarappa said.

Earlier, Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, Union Minister of State for Power and Commerce Jairam Ramesh, Home Minister V.S. Acharya, Mr. Eshwarappa and top officials of the Energy Department discussed the power situation in the State and strategies to be adopted to tide over the crisis.

The State Government and the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has already held two rounds of discussions to set up a joint venture power project. But the State is yet to identify a site for the project. The project site will be finalised shortly, and the agreement is expected to be signed by the end of September, Mr. Ramesh said.

In the case of joint venture projects with the NTPC, the power generated has to be shared between the Centre and the State, though the bulk of the power will be allotted to Karnataka.

There was a need develop four hydel power projects at Shivanasamudra, Hogenakkal, Mekedatu and Rasimanner, all located in the Cauvery basin in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, he said.

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