Nalco keen to set up IPP in Orissa

In line with its proposed restructuring plan, which prescribes foray into power generation business as an independent power producer (IPP), the National Aluminium Company (Nalco) has proposed to the Orissa government for setting up of a power station in association with a couple of state PSUs.

However, the company is yet to decide the size of the project and the investment to be made on it. Nalco's chairman-cum-managing director, A K Srivastava had preliminary discussion on it with state chief minister Naveen Patnaik here yesterday.

The company has expressed interest to set up the power plant in collaboration with a state PSU, said state energy minister Atanu S Nayak. The government will take a decision in this regard soon.

"We are interested to set up a power plant in Orissa in collaboration with any state-run PSU," Nalco CMD Srivastava told reporters after meeting the chief minister.

It may be noted two state PSUs, Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC) and Orissa Hydro Power Corporation (OHPC) have a plan to set up a power station in joint venture. Nalco could join the project as a partner, sources said.

Stating that Nalco has expertise in power generation besides having the resources to fund the project, Srivastava said the company was presently generating 1200 Mw of thermal power from its Captive Power Plant (CPP). Besides a thermal power plant, the company is also keen to set up a gas based power station in the state.

Srivastava said, the location for the power plant will be decided later."It could either be in Ib valley area in Jharsuguda district or at Talcher where coal mines were located".

As per the 2020 vision plan, the navratna company intends to generate 5,000 Mw of power by the targeted year. It has already signed a MoU with the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) for a 50:50 joint venture to generate about 1000 Mw of nuclear power.