Uttarakhand Seeks Private Players for 1,320 MW Thermal Plant

22 Nov 2024 , 12:51 PM

To entice private companies to develop the project, the Uttarakhand government is aggressively investigating the possibility of tariff-based competitive bidding for its projected 1,320-MW thermal power plant, the first in the state.

R Meenakshi Sundaram, Uttarakhand’s secretary for energy and renewable energy, planning, and housing, told ET that the state can use tariff-based competitive bidding to include private companies.

“Quickly” commissioning of the project is the state government’s goal, Sundaram stated.

According to the original plan, the central government had granted in-principle approval in June for a joint venture between Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam (UJVN) Ltd and THDC India Ltd to establish the coal-based plant.

Under the SHAKTI strategy, the Central Electricity Authority had previously suggested that Uttarakhand receive coal in order to produce 1,320 MW of thermal electricity.

According to Sundaram, the state will have to ask the coal ministry to take fuel linkage into consideration under a different category if it decides to go through the bidding process. Although the state’s hydropower potential is over 18 GW, its operating capacity is now only about 4 GW.

In Tehri, 1,000 MW of pumped storage projects are anticipated to be put into service by December, according to a government statement. Furthermore, THDC is building 444 MW, NTPC is building 520 MW, and UJVN is building 300 MW.

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