UPPCL, Bajaj Hindustan sign MoU for power project

Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Bajaj Hindustan Limited to set up a 1,980-MW thermal power project in Lalitpur district of Bundelkhand region.

The MoU was signed between UPPCL Chairman and Managing Director Navneet Sehgal and Bajaj Joint Managing Director Kushagra Bajaj in the presence of Energy Minister Ramveer Upadhyaya and Chief Secretary Atul Gupta.

The proposed power project would be set up on 1,500 acres of land at Mirchawar village, some 60 km from the Rajghat dam in Lalitpur. Uttar Pradesh will get 90 per cent of the electricity generated by the plant.

"UP will start getting power generated by this plant from the year 2014," Sehgal told reporters. He said that the project was a part of the government's endeavour to increase power generation in the state.

"No new project was set up in the state since long, resulting in a power crisis. However, in the last three years, several schemes were launched and projects to augment power generation by 10,000 MW have been sanctioned," he said.

He said that the state Cabinet had earlier decided to increase power generation in the state up to 25,000 MW. "While some projects are already underway, we have identified a number of places in the state where new power projects would be set up in the next few years," the UPPCL Chairman said.

Sehgal said that a 1,320-MW power project was being set up at Fatehpur, which will start supplying electricity by 2015. In addition, "a 660-MW unit is being installed at Anpara C extension. Both these projects are being executed by Lanco," he said.

He said that in its energy policy announced last year, the government had decided to allow sugar mills to set up coal-based projects at their units. "The response has been encouraging, as a number of mills have submitted proposals. The Cabinet has approved a proposal allowing Bajaj to set up plants of 90 MW each at its five sugar mills in the state," Sehgal said.

He said the state would start getting power from these units from 2011.

In addition, two major power projects are coming up at Bara and Karchana, while another 1,320-MW unit is being set up at Etah. A Request for Quotation for a project at Jawaharpur, which will be set up on Case 2 bidding, is ready and will be released by the month end, he said.

Sehgal said that environment clearance for a 1,980-MW project at Sonbhadra was awaited. "There are number of other projects, including Obra, Harduaganj, Meja (in collaboration with NTPC), Sandila and Chola in Bulandshahr, in the pipeline," he said.

He said that at present, the total installed capacity of power projects in the state was 4,000 MW, against which around 2,500 MW was being generated. "On April 20, power demand against availability of 6,370 MW, which included imports, was 7,354 MW, as a result of which rostering is being done," he said.