NTPC to exceed revised target

Refutes Comptroller and Auditor General’s claim of falling short of capacity.

State-run power producer, NTPC, is likely to achieve 13,020 Mw capacity addition during the 11th Plan, which is 140 per cent of the revised target of 9220 Mw.

A statement released today in response to a CAG report on the country’s largest power producer said it would achieve more than the revised target of capacity addition during the 11th Plan. The CAG had said in its report yesterday that NTPC will be able to add 9,220 megawatts (Mw) of capacity in the five years ending March 2012, falling short of a target of 22,430 Mw from 24 projects.

The statement said the 11th Plan target for NTPC as fixed by the Planning Commission was 17,760 Mw. However, during the mid-term appraisal by the Planning Commission, the target was revised to 9,220 Mw because a number of projects could not be taken up due to factors beyond the thermal power corporation’s control. These projects include North Karanpura, expansion of Kawas and Gandhar and Loharnag Pala.

It said the company had already added 5,290 Mw of capacity during the 11th plan and an additional 2,160 Mw was in an advance stage, which will be commissioned by March, 2011. Another 5,570 Mw is targeted for addition during 2011-12.

NTPC said through close monitoring and best efforts, it had been able to compress the implementation schedule and has commissioned Dadri units 5 & 6 of 490 Mw each and Jhajjar unit 1 ahead of schedule in this plan period.

CAG had said the company had lost at least Rs 16,301 crore in revenues due to the delay in scheduled capacity expansion. CAG also warned that the loss could mount to Rs 40,519 crore if the projects were not completed within the anticipated dates.

The report further said NTPC had failed to generate 71,811 million units of power, thereby missing the opportunity to earn Rs 16,301 crore as revenues. It anticipates that any further delay will result in the failure of power generation of 97,620 million units worth Rs 22,162 crore.