NTPC Ltd, country’s largest power generator, is looking at bagging coal assets abroad independently.
The company has identified some 2-3 properties, one or two in Mozambique and one in Indonesia, all of which are in the due diligence stage, said R S Sharma, chairman and managing director, NTPC Limited on the sidelines of the signing of the much awaited long-term Fuel Supply Agreement with Coal India Limited in Kolkata.
NTPC and CIL signed a 20 year long FSA with an option to review the terms eery five years.
“We have identified 2-3 properties in Mozambique and Indonesia, all of which are in the due diligence stage. The company will appoint merchant bankers soon who will be responsible for finalising the blocks and do the due diligence,” he said.
He, however, declined to give the names of the bankers and other details.The company was also eyeing majority stakes in a couple of Indonesian coal mines earlier. NTPC’s quest for coal blocks in Mozambique and Indonesia comes in the wake of efforts being made by other domestic firms and PSUs to secure assets abroad.
NTPC would require a total of 145-150 million ton of coal this fiscal for its power utilities of which 115 mt would come from CIL, 16-17 mt from Singareni and rest will have to be imported.
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The public sector company has outlined massive capacity augementation plan ahead with plans to commission an additional 22,000 mw greenfield capacity addition plan by the end 11th plan period. Of this 2749 mw has already been commissioned as on date and another 3300 mw shall be commissioned this fiscal.Construction work for another 18,000 mw was underway at a total capex of Rs 17,700 crore, pointed out Sharma.For this NTPC has also outlined a capex of Rs 55,000 crore which also includes orders for some projects of the 12th plan period. Rs 55,000 crore will be financed in a 70:30 debt equity ratio and the company has already tied up Rs 25,000 crore as debt for its capacity expansion plans. The equity would be managed from internal resources, pointed Sharma. The total revenue that NTPC is aiming by the end of 2012 with 50,000 mw in place is Rs 75-80,000 crore.
Last fiscal the company registered a total revenu of RS 42,000 crore. After months of negotiations, CIL and NTPC finally settled at a trigger point of 90 per cent of the annual contracted quantity (ACQ) for the long term Fuel Supply Agreement which is effective from April 1 this year.
If any party fails to meet the trigger point penalty clauses have been kept ranging from 10-40 per cent if supply falls below trigger point. Similarly bonus has also been kept if supply is above 90 per cent. Speaking on the occassion, Partha S Bhattarcharya, chairman, CIL, said, “This is a win-win situation for both the companies.The FSA which was introduced on account of the New Coal Distribution Policy issued in 2007, had already been given effect to all coal consuming sectors barring power sector.Now that the FSA between NTPC and CIL has been signed agreement with all other power companies will be signed.”
...in talks with Bhutan govt for hydel project
NTPC Limited, country’s largest power producer is in talks with the Bhutan Government for setting up a 600 MW hydel power plant in Bhutan through a joint venture . The investment could be to the tune of Rs 3,600 crore or above.
NTPC is in the proces of preparing a detailed project report (DPR) for the 600 MW Amochu hydel power project.
“The government of India and Bhutan government have asked NTPC Limited to prepare the DPR, it might take six months or so,” said R S Sharma, chairman and managing director, NTPC Limited. If NTPC bags this project, this will NTPC’s first hydel power project outside India.