The multi-crore Sahara Group, with varied interests in real estate, media and investment (chit fund) business, is now entering the thermal power sector.
Sahara has given a Rs 5000-crore proposal to the Orissa government for setting up a 1200 mega watt (MW) thermal power plant in Dhenkanal district.
It has also evinced interest in the green power sector in Orissa with the proposal of setting up a 5 MW photovoltaic (PV) unit. For the thermal venture, the group has approached the Orissa government for allocating around 1000 acres of land in the district to its power company, Sahara Energy.
The group representatives recently gave a presentation to the Orissa government on their plan to set up the 1200 MW thermal power plant.
"Sahara is confident of arranging coal supplies from the ministry of coal ( MoC) and has therefore approached us to provide land for the 1200 MW project. We will consider their request", said state energy minister S N Patro.
Sahara Energy has also submitted its techno-feasibility report for the proposed project in Dhenkanal, a district strategically located for sourcing coal from Mahanadi Coalfields.
Sahara's request will shortly be placed before the single window clearance authority for final clearance from the high level clearance body, whose chairperson is chief minister Naveen Patnaik.
Under rules, projects worth over Rs 1000 crore will have to be cleared by the high level body. Since 2006, Orissa has signed MoUs with 13 IPPs aggregating 16,000 MW at a proposed investment of around Rs 70,000 crore. The projects are likely to come up by the beginning of the 12th Plan.
Interestingly, the state task force recently ruled out provision of providing land to new power projects at Dhenkanal and Angul due to paucity.
It also decided on urging some new projects which are pending clearance before the hlca to shift proposed venues from Dhenkanal and Angul.
Currently there are about 7 new power projects awaiting clearances. Patro however evaded the issue relating to the task force's recommendation on Dhenkanal and Angul.
It is interesting to note, most of the 13 IPPs are yet to get coal linkages for setting up the projects, with some being provided coal blocks.
But that too, is also not a comfortable scene for the IPPs as the blocks have been divided among different parties and under normal circumstances it would take about five years to extract coal.
