Slow Progress In Renovation Of Power Units

Special secretary N P Bagchi told a workshop on renovation, modernisation and life extension strategies and financial options for generation projects here, that of the 52 hydro electric projects identified for renovation and modernisation work was yet to be taken up in 32 plants.

He appealed to senior officials of the state electricity boards and the Power Finance Corp which organised the workshop, to identify the reasons for this slow progress so that necessary steps could be taken to expedite the process.

He said renovation, modernisation and life extension strategies were crucial for meeting the power needs of the country, particularly in the light of the anticipated shortfall in the target for capacity addition during the eighth plan.Bagchi said renovation of existing plants assumed significance in view of the reported failure in the eighth plan target for new capacity addition.

 

Renovation and modernisation is a much cheaper and quicker way to add capacity and it needs to be given greater attention by the utilities, the special secretary said. He pointed out that there was scope for improvement in about 5000 mw of installed thermal capacity. The unit sizes of these plants ranged from 50 mw to 140 mw and had been in operation for more than 25 years.