NTPC eyeing distressed projects;looking at 7 coal-based units

Country's largest power generating company NTPC is looking to acquire distressed power projects in the execution stage or in the commissioning stage, said Arup Roy Choudhury, CMD of the state-run firm.
At present, seven coal-based power plants in various stages are being looked at, he said, without specifying any time-frame for an eventual takeover.
"We are also in the process of inorganic growth. There are many units which are not doing well or which have become sick that have approached us for taking (them) over. We are examining them.
"Our Board has formed a Sub-Committee and it is looking into it and we will probably acquire some properties which are good enough for acquisition," Choudhury told reporters at a press conference here.

"There are seven plants and they are all coal-based. They would be as big as 2,000 MW," he added.
NTPC has played an extremely important role in turning around sub-optimally performing stations in the past. The improvement in the performance of Badarpur, Unchahar, Talcher and Tanda by NTPC are some such instances.

Replying to a query, the NTPC chief said 10 per cent of NTPC's installed capacity is gas-based. The power producer has a total installed capacity of 42,500 MW across the nation.
According to him, the gas-based power plants are running at critically low operational capacity due to shortage of gas.

He said the company is currently working on a capacity addition of 20,000 MW against the 12th Five-Year plan target of 12,000 MW.