GE to join team on restarting Dabhol

Firm teams up with NTPC, BHEL

GE Energy will be joined by a team from National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) to determine the course of action for restarting and completing the Dabhol Power project (DPC), Scott Bayman, president and CEO, GE India, said today.

He added that engineers and technical advisers would be dispatched to examine turbines and other equipment supplied by the company and that the team would be sent as soon as arrangements at the site were completed.

Based on the evaluation of NTPC and BHEL , relating to the balance of the plant, a detailed plan for the restart of phase 1 and completion of phase 2 will be established.

The decision to join hands with NTPC and BHEL comes soon after the visit of GE Chairman and CEO Jeffrey R Immelt to India. During his visit, Immelt met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Power Minister PM Sayeed and Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath.

"GE is pleased with the course of discussions with various stakeholders in DPC and looks forward to a complete resolution of outstanding issues," Bayman said.

"We have always held that a fully-producing plant is in the best interest of people. We are keen to put Dabhol behind us, assist by bringing power to the people of Maharashtra and pursue our growth initiatives across a wide range of business sectors in the country," he added.

"We are keen to put people on the ground very quickly, and we hope to reach a closure with the government in the short term for GE," Immelt said during his visit. He has also announced a revenue target of $5 billion in the Indian market by 2010.