State-run Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) plans to invest Rs 40,200 crore to build power plants in Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
The Navratna company has plans to install 7,500 Mw of power generation capacity, including a 4,000-Mw plant in Tamil Nadu and a 2000-Mw plant in Uttar Pradesh.
The coastal Sirkali Thermal Power Project in Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu has already got in-principle approval from the company board.
The project would be implemented in two phases of 2,000 Mw each, at an estimated cost of Rs 20,000 crore, using coal as the main fuel. NLC has approached the state government for administrative sanction to acquire lands. Preliminary project activities are in process.
In Uttar Pradesh, the company plans to invest Rs 10,000 crore to set up the 2,000-Mw coal-based thermal power plant in Ghatampur tehsil of Kanpur Nagar district. For this, it has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd (UPRVUNL) for setting up a joint venture.
NLC and UPRVUNL would have equity participation in the ratio of 51:49. While in-principle approval for land and water had been received from the state government, preparation of feasibility report and environment impact assessment/environment management plan was under way, said NLC.
The corporation plans to set up a thermal power project (2x500 Mw) at Neyveli in Tamil Nadu. The project will replace the corporation’s 600-Mw TPS-I. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 5,907 crore.
“The Government of India has sanctioned this project in June 2011. Tenders for major packages have been floated and the project is scheduled to be commissioned by December 2015,” according to the company’s annual report.
NLC will restructure existing Mine-I and Mine-IA by adding contiguous lignite blocks to feed the plant.
NLC plans to set up a thermal power project of 250 Mw, with a linked mine of 2.25 mtpa, at Bithnok in Rajasthan. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 2,298.8 crore. The corporation would require 2,883 hectares for the mine and power projects.
