India will add 62,374 MW of electricity generation capacity in five years ending March 31, 2012, nearly 21 per cent less than the planned capacity addition target, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.
Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour, Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said the shortfall was mostly because of delay or lack of environmental clearances and fuel linkage for some projects.
"Planning Commission has fixed a capacity addition target of 78,700 MW for the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-12). According to the latest assessment of Central Electricity Authority, a capacity addition of 62,374 MW is likely to be achieved with a 'high level of certainty'," he said.
In addition, projects totalling to 12,590 MW are being attempted for commissioning on 'best efforts' basis, he said.
The shortfall was because of a power project in Bihar that was listed for completion in 11th Plan but had to be pushed back to the next plan because of a dispute with Russian equipment supplier, he said, adding the issue has now been resolved.
"A team (of equipment supplier) had come along with Russian Prime Minister Vladmir Putin (last week). I discussed the issue with them... The matter has been fully settled," he said.
Shinde said two units of Mundra ultra-mega power project and one unit of Sasan UMPP are likely to come up in the 11th Plan period.
Shinde said Government is developing ultra mega power projects (UMPPs) of 4,000 MW capacity each.
"Four such projects namely, Mundra in Gujarat, Sasan in Madhya Pradesh, Krishnapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Tilaiya in Jharkhand have been awarded to private companies for implementation," he said.
Besides, UMPP at Sarguja district in Chhattisgarh is under bidding process.
"The commencement of the bidding process in respect of UMPPs in the state of Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, additional UMPPs in Orissa and second UMPP in Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat is contingent upon the receipt of requisite inputs from the respective state governments," he said.
To a separate question, Minister of State for Power Bharatsinh Solanki said India was looking at importing coal from South Africa and Indonesia to meet domestic shortage of fuel.
Domestic coal, he said, had less calorific value and needed washing.
