The power major National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) plans to add 25,000 Mw to its capacity during the twelve five year plan in order to meet the growing demand of power in the country, according to the chairman cum managing director of the company, Ram Saran Sharma.
“However, everything is in the planning stage and a clear picture will emerge in due time”, said Sharma, who visited the Kaniha plant of NTPC today as part of his two-day tour to Orissa. He said, out of the proposed 25,000 Mw new capacity, 7720 MW will be generated by the company in Orissa. NTPC plans to set up two new power plants of 3200 Mw each at Gajamara and Darliapalli in Orissa. Besides capacity of the 460 Mw Talcher Thermal Power Station will be expanded with addition of two units of 660 MW each. The preliminary work for these mega power projects are on, he added. About the current plan expansion, he said, NTPC will achieve the current plan target of 18,000 MW by the end of March 2012.The total capacity of the power major would be over 50,000 MW by the end of the current plan period, he informed.
Stating that NTPC needs coal to the tune of 145 to 150 million tonne as against the supply of about 135 MT by CIL and other sources, Shrama said, his company is importing about ten million tonne coal to meet the deficit. He said, CIL and NTPC are going for joint venture to develop two coal mines in Jharkhand. Besides, NTPC has been allotted number of coal blocks in different states including Orissa.
On diversification, the CMD said, NTPC is setting up a 100 Mw wind power plant in Karnataka. Besides it has plans to set up solar plants in states like Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Asked to comment on the opposition to the disinvestment in NTPC by some trade union leaders, Sharma said, “it is the government to decide on the matter”. The executive director of NTPC-Kaniha, Lalan Prasad, executive director of eastern region S.C. Pandey and corporate executive director, S. N. Banerjee were present on the occasion.
