Haryana draws up big power plans

Realising that the burgeoning demand for power on account of rapid industrialisation and agriculture growth may act as an impediment for the state’s growth, the Haryana government is taking a host of measures to tide over the power crisis.

Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said this today while laying the foundation stone of the 1,320-Mw thermal power project at Khanpur Khard near Jhajjar. This will be the first mega power project to be set up by an independent power producer in the state.

Hooda said while a 600-Mw power plant had already been commissioned at Yamunanagar last year, now every year, till 2012, one power plant will be commissioned in the state to meet the state’s future power demand. The chief minister also said the supercritical coal-based Jhajjar project, which is likely to attract an investment of Rs 6,000 crore, will be named after Mahatma Gandhi and would be commissioned in phases.

 

The first phase of 660 Mw is likely to be commissioned by December 2011, followed by the second phase of an equal capacity by May 2012. Jhajjar Power Ltd, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based China Light and Power India Ltd, has been awarded the contact for the 1,320-Mw project.

The chief minister added that Jhajjar Power Ltd will also set up a 100-bed hospital in the area and a district-level stadium.

Talking about the progress of three thermal power projects whose foundation had been laid in the last four years, Hooda said that the 600-Mw Deen Bandhu Chottu Ram thermal power project at Yamunanagar has already been commissioned in 2008. Similarly, construction work on the 1,200 Mw Rajiv Gandhi thermal plant at Khedar in Hisar was on. Also, the 1,500-Mw Indira Gandhi super thermal power project is being set up in Jhajjar district, the first phase of which is likely to be commissioned by July 2010.

Hooda said the combined investment in all the four projects is estimated to be Rs 40, 000 crore.

Hooda said that efforts were also being made to get a 2800 MW nuclear power plant set up at Fatehabad. He said that with the commissioning of new power generation plants Haryana was aiming to become a power sufficient state in years to come.