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NTPC embarks on mega expansion plans

NEW DELHI: National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has embarked on mega expansion plans, including expanding its foray into the hydro sector, entering the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) business besides taking up power trading and acquiring coal and gas assets abroad.

The company plans to invest around $40 billion for this purpose over the next five years. Apart from this, it is also seeking to take up consultancy services and spread out its operations in West Asia, South Asia, Africa, Australia, Indonesia and Mozambique to look for coal and gas assets to firm up its fuel supplies, according to the Minister of State for Power, Jairam Ramesh.

The idea to acquire coal mines abroad is to keep the feedstock for its power plants that are coming up across the country and abroad. The company had signed an agreement with the Nigerian Government for setting up two power plants there in exchange for gas from that country for its plants in India. In addition to this, Mr. Jairam Ramesh said the company was eyeing entry into the LNG value chain and various issues in this connection were being studied from close quarters. The company, he said, had already made a foray into power trading with Tata Consultancy Services and other players apart from looking for fresh sites and feasibility studies to diversify its portfolio and expand its presence in the hydro power sector.

The company is eyeing a 50,000 MW-plus capacity by 2012. Its present operating capacity is around 30,000 MW. The expansion plans included developing hydro power capacity of 9,000 MW by 2017, of which 2,471 MW was now under implementation, the Minister said.

The company is giving final touches to the plans for its foray into the nuclear power sector and has already short-listed some sites with an aim to generate around 2,000 MW of nuclear power in the next ten years and around 2,000 MW from non-conventional sources.

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