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NTPC, the country's largest power generator, plans to foray into wind energy sector with its first project in Karnataka. The company will soon float tenders for first such project with a capacity of 100 Mw, a top company official said.
"We have identified a couple of locations at Guledagudda in Bagalkot district to set up our first ever wind power plant at an estimated cost of Rs 650 crore. We are awaiting nod from the state forest department for this project as the location falls within the reserve forest area," R Venkateswaran, NTPC"s regional executive director (South) told Business Standard.
He said the company has been in talks with the state forest department for approvals.
"The area identified for the wind power plant falls within the reserve forest area and we need to take the clearance from the state forest department before we could start work on the project. We also need to complete the micro siting study and only after that a formal application will be made for beginning the work," S S Mani, general manager, renewable energy, NTPC said.
Kudgi super thermal project
Meanwhile, NTPC is awaiting coal allocation for the second stage of 4,000 Mw super thermal power project at Kudgi in Bijapur district. The second stage will have a capacity of 1,600 Mw with two units of 800 Mw each, Venkateswaran said.
He said work on the first stage with a capacity of 2400 Mw (three units of 800 Mw each) at a cost of Rs 15,166 crore is progressing as per the schedule and will be commissioned by January 2016. Commercial operations are scheduled from May 2016 and subsequent units are to be commissioned with an interval of six months.
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Till September 2014 the company has spent Rs 5,900 crore on the first stage project. NTPC has placed orders with Doosan, Toshiba, GE, Siemens, Yokogawa and Indian PSUs like BHEL. Private sector companies like L&T, IVRCL and Simplex are also associated with the project.
With the rise in cost of coal in the domestic market, Venkateswaran said the final cost of power for the state electricity supply companies is likely to go up marginally.
It would be in the range of Rs 5 per unit as against the price worked out earlier in the power purchase agreement, which stood at Rs 4.50 per unit. "We are yet to work out the final power purchase cost. It depends on the coal price at the time of supply of power to state government," he said.
Kudgi Super Thermal Power Plant is the first power plant being set up by NTPC in Karnataka.
Out of 4,000 Mw, the Karnataka government will get 50 per cent (2,000 Mw) power from Kudgi plant, while the balance will be allocated to other southern states such as Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.
