Delay in equipment supply hitting power projects: Govt

The government today said that the slow progress of power projects in the country is on account of delay in supply of equipment from BHEL and other equipment manufacturers.

"There have been delays in implementation of power projects due to delay in supplies from the power equipment manufacturing companies, including BHEL," Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

Out of 15,075 MW capacity commissioned during the XIth Five Year Plan Period so far, commissioning of 8,447 MW thermal capacity was delayed only due to this (delay in equipment supplies), he said.

He, however, said that hydro and nuclear power projects are being commissioned as per schedule.

The government has taken steps to improve the equipment supply to the power plants including enhancing Bharat Heavy Electrical Ltd's (BHEL's) capacity to manufacture equipment that can generate 15,000 MW by the end of this fiscal (2009-10) from the current 10,000 MW.

A joint venture agreement has been signed between state-run NTPC and BHEL to take up the work related to Engineering, Procurement and Construction for power plants and other infrastructure projects.

Several private as well as state-owned firms, including Bharat Forge-Alstom, L&T-Mitsubishi, JSW-Toshiba, have tied up for manufacturing power equipment.