India to add 45,000 MW power in 12th plan period: Shinde

India will generate 15,000 MW power this year and add 45000 MW power within the time limit of 12th plan with the commissioning of power projects in the country, Union Minister for Power Sushil Kumar Shinde said today.

"We have added about 44,000 MW of capacity during the last four-and-a-half years. Last year capacity addition was 9,585 MW which is the highest in a year. We have a target of generating 15000 MW this year," Shinde told a seminar here.

Speaking in a seminar - "Opportunities in power sector" organised by Institution of Engineers, Tripura and "North-East Power News", he said, "With the completion of various power project within the 12th plan we would be able to add 45000 MW" and added after the independence India used to generate 1,400 MW and now the country generates 1,67,000MW.

He said, "The power sector in the country has immense potential. I hope that private sector would use the same in the coming days."

Private sector participation in electricity distribution needs to be encouraged, he said.

The power minister today also laid the foundation of a 52 MW power plant at Ramchandranagar, about 25 km from here.

The Rs 290-crore project of North East Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) would start generation within 30 months, official sources said adding the project would be run by water and heat emitted from the existing 84 MW gas based thermal power project at Ramchandranagar by NEEPCO itself.