Durgapur Projects plans 800mw unit

West Bengal based, public sector power generation company, Durgapur Projects Ltd (DPL) is looking at the possibility of setting up its eighth unit with a thermal generation capacity ranging between 500 mw and 800 mw.

DPL officials said the company was also considering the possibility of enhancing its transmission and distribution network to supply power to nearby new emerging industrial and commercial centres in and around Durgapur and Asansol. The prposed eighth unit size would depend upon availability of coal, power evacuation and water supply.

Short supply of coal from Coal India Ltd (CIL) forced DPL to buy thermal coal from private parties.

DPL was also exploring the possibility of importing coal from countries like Thailand and Australia through traders.

Steady supply of water had to be secured as well.

DPL would be evacuating power through the grid but it capacity constraints and would have to be upgraded to absorb the additional power generated by the eighth unit.

Discussions on the eighth unit and enhancement of distribution network had already been initiated. Industry experts said power demand was expected to rise but not by 800mw.

DPL was at present setting up its seventh 300mw unit at its existing plant. Construction was being done by the Chinese power equipment supplier, Dong Fung, with power generation slated to begin by 2007.

DPL has installed capacity of 401 mw from six units, comprising one 110mw unit, three 77mw units and two 30mw units.

Set up in the 1960's, DPL generated at around 60 per cent capacity even after a renovation and modernisation exercise was undertaken.

DPL supplied power to the Durgapur Industrial Belt (DIB). DPL had to resort to power cuts as it could supply only 80 per cent of the power demand at DIB, where demand was around 225mw.