Orissa cracks whip on Suzlon Energy

Eight new solar power projects to be approved soon.

The Orissa government has cracked the whip on Suzlon Energy Limited for its inordinate delay in submitting the detailed project report (DPR) for its proposed 98 MW wind power plant at Nabarangpur. The Rs 600-crore project was unable to make any headway due to the delay in submission of the DPR by the company.

"We have asked Suzlon Energy to submit DPR for the wind power project if it is really serious in executing the project else the state government can consider an alternative proposal from some other developer,” a highly placed official source told Business Standard.

Meanwhile, the state government is in the process of conducting field studies for identification of suitable locations in the state where wind power plants can be installed. This study is likely to be completed within two years.

Besides, the proposals for eight solar power projects in the state, each with a capacity of 1 MW are likely to be approved soon by the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) of the Government of India. The total cost of setting up of these wight solar power projects is Rs 144 crore.

"These eight solar power projects are among the 100-odd projects being shortlisted by the IREDA. The developers of these projects have already submitted all the relevant documents, including the bank guarantee and are likely to be approved soon”, said a source at Orissa Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA).

Work on these eight solar power projects is set to start by December this year and the projects are expected to be commissioned by June 2011.

These solar power projects were to come up at Sundergarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Sonepur, Bolangir, Nayagarh, Khurda and Cuttack. These projects are to be connected to the 33 KV grid or below.

The developers, who would be setting up these projects, are Mumbai-based Pan Time Finance Company which is setting up the solar plant at Benta village in Nayagarh district; Rourkela-based Jay Iron & Steel Company at Haripada in Sambalpur district; Kolkata-based Abacus Holdings Limited at Ainlachhat village in Sonepur district; Kalunga-based Mahavir Ferro Alloys Limited at Tankajodi village in Sundergarh district; Bhubaneswar-based MGM Minerals at Patrapada in Khurda district; Bhubaneswar-based Molisati Vinmay Pvt Ltd at Ranja in Deogarh district; Hyderabad-based Raajratna Energy Holdings at Sadeipali in Bolangir district and Barbil-based S N Mohanty Ltd at Patapur in Cuttack district.