The Hindu Business Line : Govt targets 20,000 MW capacity this year

The Government has set itself a target of commissioning 53 power projects with a cumulative capacity of 20,300 MW across the country during the current fiscal. If achieved, it could be a record of sorts since this would be the largest capacity commissioned in a single year and higher than the 19,015 MW commissioned during the entire Ninth Plan period.

While the projects slated to begin generation this fiscal — the final year of the Tenth Plan period — include some slippages from the previous years of the current Plan, the Power Ministry has also brought forward the commissioning target for a number of projects that were to be originally commissioned beyond March 31, 2007. Also, active co-ordination is being undertaken with implementing agencies — across the Central, State and private sectors — to ensure slippages do not take place in projects that are in the final stages of commissioning.

"Of the 88 projects in various stages of construction across the country at present, 53 projects with a total capacity of 20,000 MW are being closely monitored for commissioning during the current year. Some of them may slip by about 2-3 months but we are focussing on the completion of all of these projects within this year itself," the Power Secretary, Mr R.V. Shahi, told Business Line.

Projects brought forward

Some of the projects that were originally scheduled to be commissioned beyond the Tenth Plan period but have now been brought forward include NTPC's Sipat-II project, DVC's Chandrapur extension project, the Rajasthan Government's Dholpur project, Madhya Pradesh Power Generation Company's Amarkantak project, J&K Government's Baglihar hydro project and NHDC's Omkareshwar project.

Other major projects slated for commissioning this fiscal include the second stage of the Dabhol project, units of NTPC's Kehalgaon and Vindhyachal projects, Punjab SEB's Guru Har Gobind project, Rajasthan Government's Dholpur project and the first block of Torrent power's Sugen project.

So far during the current Five-Year Plan period, 47 generation projects with a total capacity of 14,350 MW have been commissioned, besides another 2,350 MW of captive capacity — a total of 16,700 MW. With the 53 projects targeted for commissioning during the current year, the cumulative capacity addition for the Tenth Period is expected to be around 39,000 MW, as against a targeted 41,110 MW, according to Ministry officials. In comparison, the Ninth Plan achievement was only 19,015 MW while the Eighth Plan saw only 16,422 MW actually commissioned.

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