CESC to spend Rs 20,000 cr in 5 new plants

RPG Group's flagship CESC intends on adding 5,000 MW of thermal generation capacity over the next few years, with investments in the range of Rs 20,000 crore, by establishing five new facilities. Of these, it has already commenced work at the projects in Haldia and Chandrapur in Maharashtra, while the other three are in the pipeline.

“Our group plans to add 5,000 MW of thermal generating capacity. We are looking at opportunities for inorganic growth as well. Thanks to our internal accruals, and room to tap both equity and debt options, funds are not a problem,” CESC vice chairman Sanjeev Goenka said on Thursday.

By 2013, the company is hopeful of operationalising at least two of these three greenfield projects in eastern India. It is looking at setting up one thermal generation unit each in Bihar, Jharkhand and Orissa.

While CESC had initially earmarked Pirpainti, near Bhagalpur in Bihar, for its unit in that state, it has decided to move the project closer to Patna after running into land acquisition problems. But it is yet to ascertain the actual location. “Since we are looking at the Patna distribution circle, it makes sense to move the project closer to the city. The plant will definitely be somewhere in northern Bihar,” a spokesperson said.

In Orissa and Jharkhand, too, it is yet to zero in on the locations of its units. However, since CESC has been allotted captives mines in the Dumka district of Jharkhand, it would be looking at sites in its proximity.

Closer home, CESC is facing continued difficulty in the implementing its 1,200 MW thermal generation unit at Haldia. Although it has already started certain civil works, it is yet to gain control of a crucial piece of land at the centre of the property which has affected the overall progress of the project. “Once the land acquisition is complete, it will take about 33 months for the project to be completed,” a spokesperson added.

However, in Chandrapur — where the company is undertaking a 1,200 MW project through its subsidiary Dhariwal Infrastructure — CESC is understood to be at a very advanced stage of negotiations for awarding the EPC (engineering, procurement, construction) package, including the power generation equipment. This project is expected to be completed in another 34 months.

In January this year, CESC had said that it would diversify its power generation fundamentals with a focus on developing its hydel energy generation. The company had said that up to Rs 15,000 could be invested over the next six years to generate about 2,500 MW of hydel power.