J'khand govt and NTPC sign MoA to form JV for PTPS expansion

The Jharkhand government today signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the NTPC for forming a joint venture company (JVC) for performance improvement and 4,000 MW capacity expansion of the Patratu Thermal Power Station (PTPS).
The capacity expansion would be completed in two phases - 3x800 MW and 2x800 MW, tentatively by 2024-25.
Chief Minister Raghubar Das, Union Energy, Coal and Renewable Energy (Independent charge) Minister Piyush Goyal, Chief Secretary Rajiv Gauba and NTPC CMD Arup Roy Choudhury were among the several dignitaries present during the signing of the MoA at Hotel Radisson Blu here.
Speaking on the occasion, the Union Energy Minister said the Centre and the state were working in tandem to change the shape of Jharkhand in the next five years.

"And the main ingredient (for progress) is 24x7 electricity," Goyal said and recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment to provide 24x7 power by 2019.
Chief Minister Raghubar Das asked NTPC to complete the project by 2019, to which the NTPC chairman-cum-managing director expressed commitment to complete the project in the shortest possible time.
According to a release, the JVC between Jharkhand government and NTPC would be formed with equity stake of 26 per cent and 74 per cent respectively on cashless equity infusion by Jharkhand during the setting up of 4,000 MW expansion units at Patratu in Ramgarh district.
Around 1,860 acres has been assessed by NTPC for the expansion of the project and the state would provide water linkage to the JVC, the release added.