JSW Energy to commission 2,000 Mw of power capacity

JSW Energy, promoted by Sajjan Jindal, aims to commission and synchronise to the grid over 2,000 Mw of power this calendar year. If realised, it will become one of the largest private sector power producers, with power generating assets close to that of Tata Power Company (TPC), the largest.

JSW Energy is on schedule to commission a 1,200-Mw plant (of four 300 Mw units) unit at Jaigad (Ratnagiri) in Maharashtra and the first five units (135 Mw each) of a 1,080-Mw project at Barmer in Rajasthan, Sajjan Jindal, chairman and managing director, told Business Standard.

“Works are progressing on our deadline and we will commission projects on schedule,” he said. JSW Energy, which debuted on the stock exchanges this week, had raised Rs 2,700 crore in the initial share sale to fund its projects. The company has generating power assets to the tune of about 500 Mw at Toranagallu in Karnataka. Tata Power had commissioned 421 Mw last year, to take its overall capacity to 2,786 Mw. It will add only 318 Mw this year, according to a company presentation.Sources said India’s largest power producer, NTPC, is likely to add close to 2,600 Mw during the year; its total current genrating capapcity is over 30,000 Mw . Projects scheduled for commissioning are a 660-Mw unit at Sipat and a 500-Mw unit at Korba in Chhattisgarh, 2x490 Mw at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh, a 500-Mw one at Farakka in West Bengal and the first 500-Mw unit of Indira Gandhi Aravali Power at Jhajjar in Haryana. Many of these projects are behind the commissioning schedule, noted sources. India targets to add close to 1,78,000 Mw of power before 2017, mainly through thermal power generation.

Anil Ambani-promoted Reliance Power, which recently started a 300 Mw power plant at Rosa (UP), its first, is likely to commission another plant of 300 Mw and a 300 Mw project at Butiburi in Maharashtra during the year. As for JSW Energy’s Ratnagiri project, the first 300 Mw unit is scheduled for commissioning by April and the second unit for take off within another two months. The other two units will be commissioned by August and October, said officials.