Maharashtra govt to close over 30-year-old power plants

The Maharashtra government will close down all the power stations which are more than 30 years old in a phased manner and commission new ones with increased generation capacity, Energy Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said.
The government will start work on commissioning a new 660 MW thermal power plant at Bhusawal in less than two months after closing down an existing facility there, he said.
Maharashtra State Power Generation Company (MAHAGENCO) will be closing down the existing 210 MW power plant at Bhusawal in Jalgaon district, he told reporters here.
The e-tendering and other paper works of the new plant has been completed. Order has placed with power equipment maker BHEL and the construction of the plant will begin in the next one-and-a-half month, Bawankule said.

All the power stations which are more than 30 years old will be closed down in a phased manner, he said.
They will be replaced with new mega stations which will have increased power generation capacity, the minister said.
He said the entire exercise will be undertaken without affecting the current power generation and capacity.
Another new plant with 660 MW capacity will come up at Umred, Nagpur district, he said.