The Hindu : National : Assam seeks full power from NTPC unit

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Assam seeks full power from NTPC unit

Sushanta Talukdar

Jairam Ramesh reviews progress of Salakati Thermal Power Project

— Photo: Ritu Raj Konwar

MEETING THE DEMAND: Union Minister of State for Commerce and Power Jairam Ramesh with Assam Power Minister Pradyut Bordoloi inspect the piling work at the NTPC’s Salakathi Thermal Power Project site in Bongaigaon district of Lower Assam on Sunday.

SALAKATI: Union Minister of State for Power Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said the Centre would examine the Assam government’s demand of getting the entire power generated from NTPC Rs. 4375.35 crore-Salakati Thermal Power Project here. The first 250 MW project of the 750 MW project is targeted to be commissioned in November 2010.

Mr. Ramesh, along with Assam Power Minister Pradyut Bordoloi, visited the project site.

Civil work of the boiler plant of the first unit had begun with two piling rigs already commissioned at the project site. Four more piling rigs are scheduled to be commissioned by November.

Mr. Bordoloi pointed out to Mr. Ramesh that in at least two NTPC power projects —Simhadri in Andhra Pradesh and Faridabad in Haryana — the home States were allotted the entire power generated.

The Assam government has provided the entire land for the power project to the NTPC only for a token fee of Re. 1.

The Union Minister told The Hindu that in accordance with the power distribution formula, Assam would get 400 MW of the Salakati project. However, the Centre would surely examine the State’s demand.

The foundation stone for the project was laid by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in January 2006.

This is the country’s first thermal power project that will use de-sulphurisation technology. The plant will use coal from upper Assam’s Margherita, which has high sulphur and low ash content. It will be mixed with coal from the Eastern Coalfields that has low sulphur content.

“For the first time, desulphurisation technology from Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited will be used to control the emission of sulphur dioxide. The additional investment on account of this technology is estimated at about Rs. 50 lakhs a MW,” said Mr. Ramesh.

In their presentation on the status of the project work, NTPC officials told Mr. Ramesh and Mr. Bordoloi that the tariff would be Rs 2.98 a kilo Watt hour (kWh).

The new power plant has come up at the site of the erstwhile 240 MW Bongaigaon Thermal Power Station of the Assam State Electricity Board that was shut down as it remained inoperative since 2002 due to several reasons, including irregular coal supplies.

Jobs for locals

During the review meeting, Mr. Ramesh stressed the need for NTPC recruiting skilled workers from the local Bodo population for the Salakati plant.

He also urged Deputy Chief Executive Member of Bodoland Territorial Council Kampa Borgaoyari to take the initiative for identifying local Bodo youth who could be imparted skill training.

Mr. Bordoloi said power from the plant was very critical for the State’s energy requirement.

Assam’s total power requirement has been projected to go up to 2600 MW, against 900 MW during peak hours. He attributed the shortfall in power generation in the State due to lack of any investment worth the name over the past 35 years.

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