Unit III of Bellary power station by 2014

Karnataka government is all set to commission third unit of 700 MW of the Bellary Thermal Power Station (BTPS) by July, 2014 in its bid to ease the severe power shortage in the state.

Currently, the first unit of 500 MW capacity is operational under BTPS and the second unit of 500 MW is in final stages of completion, which is expected to be operational during this year. “This proposed BTPS unit three is of 700 MW which is almost 10 per cent of the present peak demand. So, we hope fast implementation of this project in order to ease the power shortage situation in the state,” Sobha Karandlaje, minister for energy of Karnataka government said.

Earlier, BHEL has been awarded the contract for implementing this super critical third unit of 700 MW capacity in the state. “Apart from BTPS unit three of 700 MW, Yermarus Thermal Power Plant of 1600 MW have also been awarded to BHEL and we expect them to implement it in time for reducing power shortage situation in the state,” she said. The state government is also waiting for clearance for Edlapur and Godhna thermal power plants for which the central government has to make coal allotment, she added. Recently, daily power consumption has reached 160 MU from 130 MU an year before in the state.

“We are making efforts to tie-up short term and medium term sources of power. However, it is necessary to ensure energy security of the state by increasing capacity in the coming years,” she said.

Karnataka has drawn an ambitious plan to increase capacity to 10,000 MW from both public and private sector in the next three to four years. Presently, the state run Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd has a power generation capacity of 5980 MW and meets more than half of the demand of the state.

Apart from Bellary thermal units, the state agency is also developing a power complex in Raichur of 720 MW. The energy minister also emphasised on the energy conservation policies of the state government apart from capacity addition.