NTPC may announce asset acquisition plan before March 31

Company has identified 7-8 private power projects for acquisition

Country's largest thermal power producer NTPC has identified 7-8 private power projects as potential acquisition targets and will take a final call on them before end of the current fiscal, a top company official said.

"We will make an announcement before March 31, 2015. We have identified 7-8 private power projects for acquisition," NTPC Chairman and Managing Director Arup Roy Choudhury told reporters on the sidelines of India Energy Forum.

Besides, the PSU may ask interested parties to come forward with their stranded projects and then evaluate them.

The criteria for selecting the project would be based on the availability of coal linkage, environmental clearance, land and water available to the plant and it should also have a PPA (power purchase agreement) in place, according to sources.

NTPC is reportedly in talks with private power companies like L&T and Shapoorji Pallonji Group for taking over their stranded plants.

The state-owned generation firm aims to add 14,000 MW capacity by 2017. Its current installed capacity is 43,143 MW.

Meanwhile, the company today announced signing a term loan agreement of Rs 10,000 crore with state-run lender SBI for partially funding its capital expenditure.

Shares of NTPC closed at Rs 140.40, up 0.83 per cent on the BSE.