Tata Power plans two 1000 mw projects

Tata Power Company (TPC) is planning to set up two new 1,000 mw imported coal-based projects near Rewas in Maharashtra.

The state government has given approval for the first of the 1,000 mw plants and land acquisition has begun, Adi Engineer, director, Tata Power told Business Standard.

Environmental clearances for the two Rewas plants are also in place. The government is acquiring close to 1000 acres of land for both the plants.

Engineer said that it will take upto three years for commissioning the plant from the time land acquisition is completed. He said that the government expects to complete the acquisition process in the next five to six months.

These power plants are in lieu of the company's earlier proposal to set up a 1000 mw Vile project which now stands scrapped. Engineer said that the Vile project has been dropped due to logistical problems in the handling of imported coal.

Engineer said that the company was considering its own jetty at the plant site to handle the imported coal. The coal for the plant is being imported from Australia and Indonesia.

Engineer added that the company also has plans of acquiring coal mines in either of the countries and is in talks with some mine owners.

TPC is also planning to set up a 100 mw Diesel Generator sets which have short commissioning period of 10-12 months, as an interim arrangement to meet the peak load shortfall in the Mumbai area, he said.

Engineer said this is part of the company's plan to expand its power generation capacity to 4500 mw in two to three years time. It is planning an investment of Rs 18,000 crore in capacity expansion. Engineer also said that the company will bid for all the ultra mega power projects.

So far it has received request for qualification documents for the Sasan and Mundra projects in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, respectively. It has also been pre-qualified for a 280-390 mw open cycle gas turbine peaking IPP project in South Africa, he added.

On the nuclear power front, Engineer said, "The company is geared to step in at the right time. This is part of our medium term plans," he said. Group chairman Ratan Tata had earlier indicated the Tata group's interest in setting up nuclear power plants.

On the transmission front, Engineer said "We are bidding for 1100- 1200 km of the Maharashtra and Gujarat stretches of the western grid strengthening for which Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd has issued tenders."