NTPC puts 1,600 MW Gajmara project on back-burner

The PSU had earlier proposed to invest over Rs 11,000-cr to set up the coal-based project at Gajmara in Odisha

Power major NTPC has put on back-burner its plan to set up a 1600 MW coal-based project at Gajmara in Odisha as it has enough projects in hand, a top official of the PSU said.

"Gajmara is not is our first round of attention. Gajmara is nowhere near our thinking process," NTPC Chairman and Managing Director Arup Roy Choudhary said.

"We have enough in hand. We have Barethi, Khargone, 4,000 MW (power plant) in Telangana, 4,000 mw (power plant) in Andhra Pradesh. Then we have now been asked by Odisha government to expand Talcher," he said.

The PSU had earlier proposed to invest over Rs 11,000 crore to set up the coal-based project at Gajmara in Odisha.

According to a company official, NTPC is yet to sign power purchase agreement with the state government.

"From the past two years the PPA for the Gajmara project has not been signed," the official said. The proposed debt equity ratio for the power plant is 70:30, the official said.



The official further said that fuel linkage for the plant is not available, adding that fuel for the project would be arranged either through linkage or captive coal block.

NTPC had earlier said Talcher in Odisha will become a power hub as the PSU was planning around 3,000 MW of capacity addition there.

"Talcher Thermal Power station we are planning to add 1,320 MW. In super thermal power station we are planning to add another 1,600 MW. So what will essentially happen is that in that area itself there will be almost 3,000 MW of capacity addition...So it will become a power hub in Odisha...," Choudhury had earlier said.

Present installed capacity of NTPC is 44,598 mw(including 6,196 MW through JVs), according to its website. With 17 coal based power stations, NTPC is the largest thermal power generating company in the country. The company has a coal-based installed capacity of 33,675 MW.