Salim group offers to build power plant in M'rashtra

The Indonesia-based conglomerate Salim Group has shown interest in setting up power project in the energy-starved state of Maharashtra.

The Universal Success Enterprise (USE), a part of the Salim group, last week approached the state government with a proposal to set up a 5,000-MW power plant.

A senior official from the state government’s industrial department confirmed the development. USE officials made a presentation to the Maharashtra Chief Minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh, with a proposal to build a 5,000-MW thermal power plant in the coastal region of the state, based on imported coal. However, the company has yet to make a formal proposal to us, the official said.

Still, the government may find it difficult to accept the project as most of the coastal zone has already been offered for other projects.

“We have clarified to them that there is hardly any place left on the coast as many new thermal power projects are coming up in the areas,” the official said. Among the projects that are being planned along the coast include those by RInfra, Tata Power Company (TPC) and JSW Energy.

Sources from power industry are quick to point out that the Maharashtra government had already signed agreements with 8 independent power producers (IPPs) to generate 12,500 MW power. But none of the projects have taken off so far.