China Light and Power (CLP), the largest foreign power company in India, has planned a lot of investment in the country in coal-based power generation, wind energy and transmission projects. The Hong Kong-based CLP’s wholly-owned subsidiary, CLP Power India, is targeting to reach 10,000 Mw of power generation by 2015, with investment of another Rs 30,000 crore. It has already invested close to Rs 10,000 crore in India in the past eight years in gas, coal and wind energy projects.
CLP is one of the largest power companies in the Asia-Pacific region, with over 50 generation, transmission and distribution assets and retail businesses, with over 19,000 Mw of capacity in Hong Kong China, Australia, Philippines and Laos.
CLP entered India in 2002 by acquiring a 655-Mw gas/naphtha based combined cycle plant, Gujarat Paguthan Energy Corporation (GPEC) at Bharuch from Power Plc of the UK. It is planning to expand the capacity by another 1,000 Mw, with gas as fuel.
“We have 1,237 acres of land and environmental clearance for expansion at the GPEC site, and are in discussions to ensure fuel supply. The authorities are ready to allocate gas, provided we set up the project in the 11th plan period (which ends by April 2012), but it is difficult,” Rajiv Mishra, managing director of CLP India, told Business Standard. He said the company was also pursuing alternate fuel options.
UMPPs
CLP India has been pre-qualified for two ultra mega power projects (UMPP)s proposed at Orissa and Chattisgarh, revealed Mishra. CLP had not participated in the earlier allocation of UMPPs at Mundra (Gujarat), Sasan (MP), Krishnapatanam (AP)and Tilaiya (Jharkhand).
“Earlier, we felt 4,000 Mw UMPPs were risky and CLP India lacked experience in setting up mega greenfield (new) power projects, though our parent is a world leader in power generation. With the experience of setting up the greenfield project in Haryana, we think it is time to look at mega power projects”, said Mishra.
The company is setting up a 1,320 Mw (2x660 Mw) domestic coal-based power project at Jhajjar in Haryana. It plans to commission the first unit by next year and the project is to be fully commissioned by May 2012.
The company is also planning big investments in wind energy. CLP will add an average of 300 Mw every year in the coming years to take its capacity in wind power generation to about 2,000 Mw, said Rajiv.
It is already the largest wind power generator in the country, with close to 500 Mw of projects. It has operational wind farms at Knadke in Maharashtra (50.4 Mw), Samana in Jamnagar (88.8), Sundatti at Belgaum in Karnataka (20.8 Mw) and Theni in Tamil Nadu (90 Mw). It is also setting up a 12-Mw wind farm in in Samana, 61.6 Mw at Belgaum, 113.6 Mw at Andhra Lake in Maharashtra and 39.6 Mw at Harapanahalli in Karnataka.
Most of these will be executed Enercon and Vestas and the company will sign more development deals with Suzlon, said the executive.
CLP plans to foray into transmission projects in a tie-up with Gammon India. The partners bid for two projects unsuccessfully and are in the final round of bidding for two mega transmission projects scheduled to be awarded this month and in January, said Mishra.
