500 Mw more at Ib Valley

The Orissa government and American power utility AES Corporation  agreed to set up the third and fourth units of the Ib Thermal Power Plant (ITPP) in Jharsuguda district. The two units of 250 Megawatts each are estimated to cost Rs 1,700 crore.

The decision was taken at a meeting between Orissa Energy Minister SN Patro and AES representatives. The Ib thermal plant, owned by the Orissa Power Generation Corporation (OPGC), currently has two units of 210 Mw each. AES has a 49 per cent stake in OPGC and the state government holds the remaining 51 per cent.

While agreeing to the expansion of the capacity of the Ib Valley thermal plant, the Orissa government, however, rejected some of the conditions set by the American power utility for going ahead with the project.

AES had demanded that it be given another two per cent share in OPGC so that it could have a majority holding in the company. It had also sought the withdrawal of all cases against it relating to its abdication of management responsibility in distribution company Cesco.

Patro said, "We have agreed to expedite the process of disposing the cases filed by Gridco and Cesco against AES."