Gujarat drops 4,000-Mw coal power project

Power-surplus state to look at more from existing units and renewable energy

The government of Gujarat has dropped  a proposal for setting up a 4,000-Megawatt (Mw) coal-based ultra mega power project (UMPP).

The current government under Vijay Rupani says there is surplus generation capacity and, instead of adding thermal power, wishes to focus for now on renewable power.

The Gujarat State Electricity Corporation was to handle the UMPP. Close to Rs 20,000-crore investment was required. Gujarat had housed the country’s first UMPP, when Tata Power started generation from its Mundra unit in 2012.

According to the state government, at a time when Gujarat already has around 30,000 Mw installed capacity, including from