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Power Finance Corporation (PFC), the nodal agency for implementing ultra mega power projects (UMPPs), has extended the deadline for the first UMPP in Odisha to November 25 from November 11 scheduled earlier.
The maiden 4,000 Mw UMPP in the state is coming up at Bhedabahal in Sundargarh district.
The deadline has been extended due to amendments in certain provisions of the Request for Qualification (RFQ).
At a recent meeting of the Union power ministry, it was decided to complete bidding and award of projects for the Bhedabahal and Cheyyur (Tamil Nadu) UMPPs by January next year. As per the revised standard bidding documents, the projects would be set up on design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) basis.
The Odisha Integrated Power Ltd (OIPL), a fully owned subsidiary of Power Finance Corporation (PFC), will conduct the bidding process for selecting the developer for the Odisha project. OIPL has been authorized by the Odisha government to take all necessary decisions to this effect.
The decisions will be taken by OIPL in line with the ‘Guidelines for Determination of Tariff by Bidding Process for Procurement of Power by Distribution Licensees’ issued by the Union power ministry under Electricity Act-2003.
State owned power trading firm Gridco Ltd has been appointed as the lead utility among all the utilities that will be allocated power from the Bhedabhal UMPP.
Earlier, the government of India had scrapped the initial bids for the project in September, this year since the bids were invited as per the previous standard bidding documents (SBDs). Some big names in the power sector like NTPC, Tata Power, Adani Power, JSW Energy and Jindal Steel & Power Ltd (JSPL) were among 20 companies, which had evinced interest in developing the UMPP.
The UMPP needs 3,100 acres of land in all. Odisha would get 1,300 Mw as its share from this project.
It may be noted that Meenakshi, Meenakshi-B and Dipside Meenakshi coal blocks have been allotted for the UMPP with a total reserve of 880 million tonnes.
Besides Bhedabahal, two more UMPPs are set to come up in Odisha. It has been decided to set up the second UMPP at Bijoypatna in Chandbali tehsil of Bhadrak district and third UMPP at Narla under Kesinga sub-division in Kalahandi district. The sites have been selected after field visits by PFC.
Two subsidiaries- Sakhigopal Integrated Power Company Ltd and Ghogarpalli Integrated Power Company Ltd have been formed by PFC for executing these two UMPPs. The second and third UMPPs would contribute 2,000 Mw each to the state grid.
