NTPC, UP ink MoU for 1,320-Mw plant

The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and the UP State Thermal Power Generation Corporation today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to set up a coal-based power plant having a capacity of 1,320 Mw, with two units of 660 Mw each, at Koharar ghat in Allahabad district.

The deal was signed by G B Patnaik, chairman of the UP Thermal Power Generation Corporation, and T Shankarlingam, NTPC chairman and managing director, in the presence of Chief Minister Mayawati here at her official residence.

The new Rs 6,000-crore power units are expected to be completed in four years. Of the total power generated from this plant, UP's share will be 75 per cent, or 990 Mw, while the rest will go to the national grid. For the evacuation of power, the scheme will be prepared and implemented by the Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd.

UP and NTPC will have 50 per cent each in this joint venture, with UP investing Rs 1,080 crore. The project will require 2,500 acres. The land identified for this is mainly barren and some land is cultivating single crops.

The plant will get its water "� 100 cusecs "� from the rivers Ganga and Tons. The site is 48 km from Allahabad city.

Soon after taking over as chief minister in May, Mayawati had revived the proposal for the expansion of the Tanda plant of the NTPC. According to the proposal, the NTPC will add a fresh capacity of 1,320 Mw by setting up two new units of 660 Mw each.

Tanda falls in the Akbarpur Lok Sabha constituency, represented several times by Mayawati. Shankarlingam said UP's share had been fixed at 63 per cent of the fresh capacity in Tanda.