MP ultra mega power project faces delay

The Madhya Pradesh government has said that the Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP) at Sasan in Singrauli district of the state is facing delay due to environment related issues.

State Power Minister Rajendra Shukla today demanded urgent environment and forest clearance for two mega thermal power projects in the state, including Sasan.

Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group controlled Reliance Power Ltd’s wholly owned subsidiary, Sasan Power Ltd (SPL), is implementing the 3,960-Mw Sasan UMPP. It will be the largest integrated pit-head coal-based power project in India.

Politics over coal has once again gripped the state power supply as the ruling BJP and the UPA government at the Centre have traded charges with each other.

“The minister today called on Union Coal Minister and Union Power Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal and Sushil Kumar Shinde and informed them that environment clearances for coal blocks to be allocated to Sasan project had not been given so far. Similarly 1,320 Mw Essar power project is also facing delay from the Centre on forest clearance issues,” a government source told BS.

Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jyotiraditya Scindia had last week in Bhopal alleged that the state government was making false allegations on the Union government despite the later having supplied 20 per cent more coal than its demand and allocation. “They should stop making false allegations against the Centre and should discuss the matter on basis of facts,” Scindia had said.

Shukla also demanded additional two million tonnes of coal if state power plants have to achieve 75 per cent PLF (plant load factor).

“The Centre supplies us only 15 million tonnes on current annual contract basis. Our demand is on base of plant load factor which we have raised from 70 per cent to 75 per cent. The coal supply should be 17 million tonnes,” the source said.

Earlier two years back the MP chief minister had launched a campaign against the Centre alleging that the state was facing acute power shortage due to biased attitude of the government.

“The actual coal supply is hardly 91 per cent of the total demanded supply, as a result of which, power plants of the state cannot run at proper capacity,” the source said.