Gujarat may not get two more UMPPs on environmental grounds

Gujarat may have to be content with only one 4,000 MW ultra mega power project, as the two other sites offered by the state for building such projects have not been found feasible by the Power Ministry due to environmental reasons.

Gujarat had identified two sites -- one near Junagarh and another near Jamnagar-- for setting UMPPs of 4,000 MW capacity each.

"Junagarh is not possible, as it is near the Gir Forest area and as far as Jamnagar is concerned, it is near the limestone mines and we have to receive permission from the Gujarat State Mining Corp," a power ministry official told PTI.

"These two projects look unlikely....But let's see," he added.

At present, country's largest private power producer Tata Power is executing the 4,000 (800x5) MW UMPP at Mundra in the state. The first 800 MW unit of this coastal project is expected to be completed during the current plan period (2007-12).

Power Finance Corporation (PFC), the nodal agency for these kind of projects, has already awarded four projects to the successful bidders.Reliance Power bagged three of the allotted four projects -- Sasan (Madhya Pradesh), Krishnapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and Tilaiya (Jharkhand) and the fourth one is Tata's Mundra project.

The government, which plans to add 1,00,000 MW of electricity in the upcoming XIIth plan period (2012-17), is relying on the contribution from these UMPPs. These projects are likely to be commissioned over a period of 4-5 years from now.

The invitation of preliminary bids for the two proposed projects at Bedabahal (Orissa) and Sarguja (Chhattisgarh) are stuck because of lack of environment clearance for the coal blocks allotted to the projects.
    
Therefore, Power Ministry would not finalise any other site in any other part of the country without obtaining the mandatory approvals from the respective authorities.
    
"For the Jamnagar project...We would only (give)go-ahead after the necessary permissions are in place," the official added.
    
Tamil Nadu has also selected sites for the construction of UMPPs. It has selected two sites -- Cheyyur and Nagapattinam, and the necessary ground work is being done by the state as well as PFC and Power Ministry on these particular sites. Initial bids for the Cheyyur UMPP can be expected in the next financial year (2011-12).