NTPC may float Rs 17,000 cr tender to source eqpt

The country's largest power producer NTPC is likely to float the Rs 17,000 crore tender for sourcing super-critical equipment for its upcoming projects, this month-end.

"We are trying our level best to float the tender this month-end," a senior official in the Power Ministry told PTI.

The government approved NTPC's proposal to float a global tender for procuring equipment worth Rs 17,000 crore for its upcoming projects on December 30, 2010.

"It (NTPC's bulk tender) has been approved by the Cabinet," Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde had said after the Cabinet meeting headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

NTPC would float a tender to secure nine supercritical boilers and nine turbine & generator sets of 800-MW capacity each for power projects at Lara (Chhattisgarh), Kudgi (Karnataka), Darllipalli and Gajamara in Orissa.

The equipment account for 60 per cent of the total cost of the projects, that is, over Rs 17,000 crore. The total cost of these projects is likely to be about Rs 29,000 crore.

Supercritical equipment are energy-efficient and environment-friendly.

This is the company's second order for sourcing supercritical power equipment. NTPC had floated a tender October last year to source 11 boilers and 11 turbine and generator sets for five power projects in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

Bharat-Forge-Alstom joint venture emerged as the successful bidder for supplying turbines and generators for the five power projects, the bids for the boilers are yet to open.

NTPC currently generates over 32,000 MW of electricity and is planning to augment this capacity to 75,000 MW by 2017.