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At least three independent power producers (IPPs) are likely to face stern action from the Odisha government for tardy progress on their coal-based projects proposed in the state.
Astaranga Power, SPI Ports Ltd and KU Projects may face the heat as the state government has decided to crackdown on frivolous players.
“The progress made by Astaranga Power, SPI Ports and KU Projects is not satisfactory. Their memorandum of understanding (MoUs) have lapsed and we are not willing to extend their pacts. At the next meeting of the state task force, we will take a call on the fate of these IPPs. Ideally, we would like them to be off the list,” said Suresh C Mohapatra, principal secretary (energy).
The state chief secretary G C Pati today took stock of the progress made by the IPPs. The state government had originally signed MoUs with 30 IPPs, envisaging a generation capacity of around 37,000 Mw. Out of this, pacts with Essar Power and Vijaya Power Ltd were scrapped due to unsatisfactory progress on their projects. Mohapatra said, three IPPs- Vedanta Group firm Sterlite Energy, GMR Kamalanga and Jindal India Thermal Power Ltd (JITPL) have already commissioned their projects. These proponents were supplying 650 Mw to the grid as state share. Sterlite Energy was the first IPP to commission its 2,400 Mw (4x600) coal-fired plant at Bhurkamunda near Jharsuguda. GMR Kamalanga has put on stream three 350 Mw units of its 1,400 Mw (4x350) plant.
Three other IPPs — Ind-Barath Energy (Utkal) Ltd, Lanco Power and Monnet Power were in advanced stage of commissioning their power plants. The 700 Mw power plant proposed by Ind-Barath is expected to start operations in a month or two, said Mohapatra. The state will get 25 per cent of power generated by these plants as its share.
The IPPs have already invested over Rs 32,000 crore on their projects. The project proponents that have made substantial investments on their projects are JITPL (Rs 4,564.26 crore), Monnet Power Company Ltd (Rs 4,100 crore), Lanco Babandh Power Ltd (Rs 4,850 crore) and Ind-Barath Energy Utkal Ltd (Rs 2,954 crore).
