UP govt pulls plug on Dopaha power project after Centre’s green snub...

 

The Uttar Pradesh government has finally pulled the plug on its 1,980 mw coal-fired Dopaha power project in Sonebhadra after failing to get a green nod and land for the plan. The state has been trying to kick-start the project for four years.

The 3x660 mw supercritical plant needed 1,475 acres land, approximately 9.7 million tonne per annum coal and 60 cusecs of water.

But ever since its inception in 2009 by the then Mayawati government, the project has faced hurdles in getting land and environmental clearances. The decision to shelve the project was taken Thursday evening by an energy task force (ETF) headed by the chief secretary.

An official of the state power department said the government thought it was better to bury the project because there was no hope of either getting the land or the green nod from the Centre.

The state government had been trying to get the environmental clearance since 2010. The Centre had denied the clearance on the ground that the nearby Singrauli area was under observation because of pollution from the production of 10,000 mw of power in the area. The UP government tried to reason with the environment and forest ministry, saying Dopaha, in Sonebhadra, is 30 km away from the Singauli area and will in no way add to the pollution of the area.

According to the environmental ministry, a study carried out by the Centre at Singrauli warned that these power plants could cause irreparable damage to the environment of the area. Accepting the preliminary findings of the study, the environment ministry said that no power plant should come up in the notified (Singrauli) area till a Central team completes its study on the environmental hazards of these power plants.

The state government, on its part, contested the view and said that the Centre was building up a flimsy ground to deny it the right to set up a power plant near a mine-rich area.

Singrauli, which is fast emerging as an energy hub of India, houses a total installed capacity of approximately 10,000 mw. This is more than 10% of total installed capacity of the entire country.
A major chunk of the power produced at the pit-heads of Singrauli goes to the central and private sectors, including NTPC’s Vindhyachal project (3260 mw), Shaktinagar project (2000 mw) and Rihand Super Thermal Power project (2000 mw) in Rihandnagar. Also, Sasan Power Limited is setting up a 4000-mw ultra-mega power project at Singrauli.

The MP government, too, has set up its own power projects here.

“Uttar Pradesh has only Anpara A, B and D and Obra thermal Power Station near the mines. For a power-starved state like UP, not being able to set up even one plant at Sonebhadra would mean taking the project to a faraway place. This will force additional cartage and result in expensive power for people,” an official of the UP Power Corporation said.

"To nip our proposal was uncalled for...it is likely to jeopardize the development of the power sector in UP.”

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NMDC scouts for new sites for UP power plant...

 

NMDC, which is in the process of setting up a 500-MW power plant in Gonda district in Uttar Pradesh, has decided to shift the location of the project in view of the objections raised by a committee under the ministry of environment and forests.

According to official sources, Mecon, consultant for the power project has come up with three alternative sites and the Expert Appraisal Committee has asked the miner to prepare a detailed plan with regard to the environmental issues on the site at Turkadih-Siswa.

The EAC earlier refused to clear the project saying that the place where the project is proposed is fertile agriculture land and suggested the company to find another site.

"Mecon has identified three alternate sites within and outside Gonda, with the help of Topo Sheets and Satellite imageries and extensive field survey. The EAC asked them to prepare Environmental Management Plan keeping Turkadih-Siswa site in mind," a source in the know of the development told PTI.

The source said an advertisement seeking land up to 500 acres in Gonda district was also released recently.

"We have not taken any investment decision yet. It depends on the DPR by Mecon. It will take some time for them to prepare the report," the source added.

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Khaitan Sud & Partners advises on 1980 MW Thermal Power Project...

 

L&T Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (“L&T Infra Finance”) has funded Bajaj Energy Private Limited (“BEPL”), one of the group companies of the Shishir Bajaj Group engaged in the power sector.

L&T Infra Finance has agreed to extend a term loan facility of Rs. 100 crores to BEPL for the purposes of downstream capital expenditure/investment and for meeting obligations related to its role as a sponsor of Lalitpur Power Generation Company Limited (“LPGCL”) which is engaged in the implementation of the 1980 MW super critical thermal power project in District Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh.

BEPL is engaged in the business of generation of power and is itself implementing a 450MW thermal power project in 5 separate locations in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

Khaitan Sud & Partners (KSP) acted as Lender’s Legal Counsel engaged by L&T Infra Finance. The scope of work involved preparation of relevant financing documents and detailed negotiations with L&T Infra Finance.

The KSP team was led by Principal Associate Sujeet Das assisted by Associates Henna Vadhera and Sudhanshu Goil.

BEPL was represented on the transaction by its in-house finance and secretarial teams.

The transaction closed on December 30, 2013.

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Noida to get 20 substations...

 

The Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) will commission around 20 33/11kV substations across Noida during 2014 to ensure equitable distribution of electricity to different sectors. These substations will be constructed by Noida Authority and later handed over to UPPCL.

Power officials said these 20 substations form part of a network designed for transmission and distribution of electricity in Noida through a number of power houses of varying capacities. Other than these substations, two substations of 400kV each and one of 765kV have been approved. These projects too are in different stages of work.

Corporation officials said work is also set to commence on four 220kV substations in Noida. "The smaller-capacity substations will help enable distribution of electricity within a sector or a cluster of sectors. Existing small capacity substations will not be enough to handle the load once more power is brought into the city by the larger substations," said a senior power corporation official.

At present, Noida gets electricity through a single 400kV substation in Pali.

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BHEL renovates power plant unit in Uttar Pradesh...

 

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd has modernised a 200 MW unit at a thermal power plant in Uttar Pradesh. Besides renovation and modernisation, the rated output of the thermal unit has been enhanced to 216 MW.

The work has been carried out at Obra thermal power station, an Uttar Pradesh government enterprise. In a statement, BHEL said the working life of the machine has also been extended by another 15-20 years.     “This is also the first instance of a successful modernisation and uprating of any 200 MW class machine in India,” it added. State-run BHEL is a leading power equipment maker in the country.

“Optimum utilisation of existing capacity in the country to maximise the generation through Renovation & Modernisation (R&M) and Life Extension (LE) of existing power plants is considered to be the most cost effective option,” the statement added. BHEL succeeded in loading the machine to 218 MW i.e 2 MW higher than design capacity with all parameters within the acceptable range.

This brings to the fore once again BHEL’s capabilities against the issue of dependence on foreign agencies as well as the reliability of BHEL to deal with the associated energy security risks and ensure self-sufficiency for the country’s power sector.

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UPPCL signs power purchase agreement for 110 MW solar power with the solar power developers...

 

The UP Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) has entered into an agreement with solar power developers for purchasing 110mw of power.

The agreement was entered in the presence of UP chief secretary, Javed Usmani, who said that under the state solar policy the state government will be setting up 500mw of power solar power plants in the state.

The UP New Energy Development Authority (UPNEDA) had invited bids for setting up of power plants compositely to the tune of 200mw. The authority had also put in place a competitive bidding process for power tariff from these power plants. Against this, the authority received bids for 130mw. On Friday, the UPPCL signed the agreement for 110mw power.

The solar power plants with which the agreement was signed included, 10mw by Azure Surya Private Limited, 50mw by M/s Essel Infra Project, 20mw by Moser Baer, 10mw by M/s Refex Energy, 10mw by M/s Jackson Power and 10mw to be set up by DK Infracon. All these power plants are proposed to be set up in Bundelkhand region. Usmani said that NEDA would soon invite bids for the rest 370mw.

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UP dials NTPC after Jaypee pulls plug on power project...

 

Almost seven years after bagging the project and following a series of hiccups in land acquisition, Jaypee Infratech has finally conveyed to the UP government its unwillingness to construct the 1,320-MW Karchana power project in Allahabad.

A desperate state government has now initiated talks with the central PSU, NTPC, to take over the project. According to sources in the state government, UP CM Akhilesh Yadav was scheduled to meet NTPC chairman and MD later in the day.

"The CM is meeting the CMD of NTPC, along with the principal secretary power, Sanjay Agarwal, to discuss the issue. The government has put the process on fast track and it is now almost certain that the project will go to the NTPC," a source said, adding that the CM had already asked senior officials of the power department to rope in other developers for Karchana power plant in case Jaypee was unwilling to construct the project.

"There could be two ways of going forward on this: One way is to go for a rebidding and the other is to invite a state entity such as NTPC or UP Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam to develop it," said the official.

"For NTPC, this can be a boon as it already has a power plant Meja in the same vicinity," the official said, adding that the only bone of contention could be the power-sharing formula.

"While the state government will try to stick to its stand of getting 90% power from the project, the NTPC may stick to the Gadgil Formula," he said.

The state government, in October, asked the district administration to go ahead and hand over the land to the developer and ask them to start work on it as none of the owners (farmers) whose land had been acquired had come forward to give the compensation money and take back their land as directed by the high court.

Of the 518 hectares of land in possession of the district administration, small plots of about 50-odd hectares are still a bone of contention as these farmers were not ready to part with their lands.

Farmers of these plots have been holding protests on the site and have been holding up the project.

Referring to the delay in the project, the Jaypee group expressed its apprehension and said while on the one hand, it was not given total possession of the land, on the other hand, prices had shot up several times over the last seven years, making the project unviable at the old rates.

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UPERC invites objections on extension to power plants...

 

With the state cabinet giving nod to 18-month extension to nine power projects, proposed to be set up through the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) route, the ball is now in the court of Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) which will hear the case on December 26. The commission has invited objections from interested parties and stakeholders by December 18 when a hearing will be held.

On Monday, the commission started receiving petitions and objections into granting of extension to nine power projects. The UP Rajya Vidyut Upbhogta Parishad in its petition has challenged the extension given to the projects for the second time.

The parishad said even though the commission is scrutinising the first extension given in June 2012, the state government went ahead to give the second extension. "This proves that the state government has nothing to do with the commission. The second extension is contempt of commission,'' said parishad president AK Verma.

In January 2011, the Centre had stopped setting up of power plants under the MoU route saying that the cost of power from these plants would be high as compared to those proposed to be set up through competitive bidding.

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Alstom T&D India wins Euro 9 million shunt reactor package for Power Grid's Kanpur and Jhatikara765 kV substations...

 

Alstom T & D India Ltd has won an order worth approximately Rs. 790 million (Euro 9 million) from Power Grid Corporation of India Limited to provide 14 shunt reactors for the 765 kV electrical substations at Kanpur and Jhatikara in the Uttar Pradesh state. The projects are due for delivery in 2015.

Alstom's shunt reactors will have the highest power rating installed on India's Extra High Voltage (EHV) 765 kV electrical grid. The reactors are designed to maintain the 765 kV voltage level, whatever the load, by limiting transient over-voltages which can occur due to sudden load decreases.

All 765 kV equipment for these projects will be manufactured in Alstom's transformer and reactor manufacturing facility at Vadodara in Gujarat, India.

Shares of Alstom T & D India Ltd was last trading BSE at Rs.174.45, down by Rs.1.40 or 0.80%. The stock hit an intraday high of Rs.178 and intraday low of Rs.171.55.

The total traded quantity was 0.11 lakh shares as compared to 2 week average of 0.20 lakh shares.

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Central Electronics to put up 40 MW Solar PV manufacturing Unit at Uttar Pradesh; invites bids for supply of equipments...

 

Central Electronics Limited is planning to put a 40 MW Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) module manufacturing at Shahibabad, Uttar Pradesh.

It has invited bids for the Turnkey Supply for " Setting Up of 40 MW Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) Module Manufacturing Line on 4th December 2013.

 

Brief details of the Tender is depicted below:

Scope of Work

• Setting Up of 40 MW Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) Module Manufacturing Line (Turnkey Supply)
• The scope shall include supply, layout design and installation, commissioning, inspection, training, process optimization and warranty with spares for 2 years,consumables for 1 year, AMC for 2 year of PV Module manufacturing line (turnkey) for manufacture of 40 MW SPV Modules. In addition IEC certification is also under the scope.

Basis for Capacity Calculation:

• Solar Cell type : 156 × 156 mm
• Cell Power : 4.0 Watt
• No. of Cells/Module : 72 Pcs
• Matrix : 6 × 12 (Cell Size:156 × 156)
• Yearly working Days : 365 Days
• Working hours/ day : 24 Hours
• Total Hours : 8760 Hours
• Watts/Module : 288 Watts
• Lamination Cycle time : 17 min (with fast cure EVA)
• Uptime : 90 %
• Yield : 99%

Technical Specifications:

• Module size : Up to 2000 mm x 1000 mm or larger
• Solar Cell Type : Mono and Multi crystalline
• Solar Cell size : 156 ×156 mm, Half & One third of 156 × 156 mm
• Cell Geometry : Square / Pseudo square
• Cell Thickness : ≥ 180 μm
• Cell breakage (Line) : ≤1%
• Remote assistance & supervision via internet

Earnest Money Deposit by bidders

Rs. 20,00,000/- (Rupees Twenty lakhs only) OR US$ 32,000 (US Dollar Thirty two thousands only)

Bid Validity

90 days fro date of bid opening (i.e. January 10, 2014)

 

More details on the tender can be found here.

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UP Cabinet clears over 2100 Mw purchase from private players...

 

Unfazed by opposition's criticism of power purchase at higher rates, UP cabinet on Tuesday, gave its nod to buying over 2100 Mw of power from three companies for 25 years at a rate ranging between Rs 5.58 per unit and Rs 5.84 per unit.

The cabinet also gave a year's extension to work contract of a Spanish transmission company, Isolux Corsan, engaged in construction of transmission lines to evacuate power from three upcoming plants in Uttar Pradesh.

The purchase of power from three companies-KSK Mahanadi, PTC India Limited and Krishnapattanam- happens to come through under the case-1 bidding process that envisages procurement of 6000 Mw of power for a period of 25 years, beginning 2016 up to 2042. Chief secretary Jawed Usmani said while 1000 Mw of power would be purchased from KSK Mahanadi, PTC will wheel out 361 Mw to the state. Likewise, the Krishnapattanam power corporation will be providing 800 Mw of power to the state. In all, around 2100 Mw of power will be purchased from the three external sources to meet the ever growing demand for power in UP. The issue was earlier cleared by the UP Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) board as well as the energy task force (ETF) headed by UP chief secretary.

Principal secretary Energy, Sanjay Agarwal, said since power will be purchased at a levelised tariff over a long period, the actual cost of power comes down drastically. For example, in the first year (2016-17) the KSK will be providing power at the rate of Rs 4.713 per unit. The PTC India and Krishnapatnam will provide it at Rs 4.784 and Rs 4.436 per unit, respectively. This increases gradually over a period of time and by 2042, the three companies will be providing power at the rate of Rs 9.682, Rs 11.474 and Rs 18.275 per unit, respectively.

The principal secretary said power purchase under the case-1 bidding was sent for law department clearance which did not allow negotiations to be carried out under the stipulated guidelines. He said clearance was also taken by the UP electricity regulatory commission (UPERC). "Had power been purchased every year, the cost would have gone up dramatically,'' a senior UPPCL official said. Agarwal said guidelines for power purchased under the Case-1 have been changed, hence the cost of coal would be computed accordingly in per unit charge. This raised the chances of a further hike in rate of power to be purchased.

At least seven bidders (L-1 to L7) had come forward. The three companies which bid the lowest prices included NSL power (for providing 300 Mw at the rate of Rs 4.48 per unit), TRN energy (for providing 390 Mw at the rate of Rs 4.886 per unit) and Lanco Babandh (for providing 390 Mw at the rate of Rs 5.074 per unit). The state government has already issued a letter of intent to purchase power from these companies. The state cabinet, however, rejected L4-RKM Powergen (for 350Mw) which bid at the cost of Rs 5.088 per unit, due to its failure in meetings the commitments. Usmani said the state cabinet had decided to invoke company's bid bond of Rs 10.5 crore.

Even as the state government gears up to purchase power from external sources, questions are being raised if this would further raise the debt of the state government. Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, who also holds the energy portfolio, had been blaming the previous Mayawati government of leaving UPPCL cash-strapped by taking loans that resulted in liability of Rs 25,000 crore.

In another decision, the state cabinet gave a year's extension to Spanish company Isolux Corsan to complete laying of transmission lines to evacuate power from power plants. The company was roped in January 2012 and was supposed to finish its work by January 2014. The company, however, was caught in a controversy after it insisted on changing the specification of conductors. The UPERC, however, rejected the demand. In the process the work on the project got delayed. The company was given the work contract of constructing transmission lines to evacuate power from three power plants-Bara, Meja and Tanda.

The company has now been asked to get the work completed partially by December 2014 to evacuate power from at least one Bara unit of 660 Mw. The rest of the work may be done by August 2015 when the other two units of Bara (660 x 2 Mw), Meja and Tanda get operational.

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Alstom bags Rs 79 cr order from PowerGrid for substations in Uttar Pradesh...

 

Alstom T&D India today said it has bagged Rs 79-crore contract from state-run Power Grid Corporation for supplying equipment at substations in Uttar Pradesh.

“Alstom T&D India has won an order worth Rs 79 crore (9 million euro) from Power Grid Corporation to provide reactors for substations at Kanpur and Jhatikara in Uttar Pradesh,” the company said in a statement.

The projects are due for delivery in 2015.

The reactors are designed to maintain the voltage level, whatever the load, by limiting over-voltages which can occur due to sudden load decreases.

All equipment for these projects will be manufactured in Alstom’s transformer and reactor manufacturing facility at Vadodara in India, the statement said.

“This contract further reinforces the confidence that Power Grid has in Alstom’s capability to deliver products and solutions from its state of the art manufacturing facilities,” Alstom T&D India Managing Director Rathin Basu said.

Shares of the company closed at Rs 183.15, up 1.86 per cent on the BSE.

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Cold Storage powered by Biomass based Projects launched in UP...

 

Union minister of new & renewable energy Farooq Abdullah assured all possible financial help to villages of Uttar Pradesh to help them develop alternative sources of electrification while inaugurating the 'Biomass energy based village electrification' and 'cold storage' project in a village of Sitapur on Thursday.

The project is first of its kind in UP where biomass is being used to supply power to a cold storage in a village to preserve fruits and vegetables of farmers. UP farmers have always been grappling with poor grid supply in villages which has been affecting their irrigating practices, children's studies and household chores. Even companies are reluctant to set up industries in villages which have insufficient power supply. This results in poor job avenues for locals, who then migrate to cities for livelihood.

Also, due to lack of proper storage and transit facilities, about 22% of agricultural produce, especially fruits and vegetables is spoiled. The wastage in fruits and vegetables is estimated to be worth about Rs 330 billion in India. To end this vicious circle, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) launched the concept of using indigenously available biomass resources for operating small and decentralised cold storage at village level.

In addition, they also wanted to supply off-grid (alternative energy) power to electrify households of villages. TERI installed its first project in Bilariya village of Sitapur with support of two Australian agencies, AusAid (managing Australia's overseas aid program) and CSIRO (Australian premier research organization). TERI said apart from electrification of households, the project will benefit in many other ways like creating job opportunities, developing alternative power source and recharging electronic lamps, mobile phones, etc.

The project is supplying electricity to over 140 households in nearby villages and a cold storage facility in Bilariya. A prepaid metering system is installed in households to ensure that villagers are paying only for the number of units they are consuming. The biggest advantage is that the cold storage (15 metric tonnes capacity) can easily preserve agrarian produce at 0 degree Celsius.

R K Pachauri, director-general of TERI, said, "We aim to install more such projects in villages of UP. We have met several times with the officials and the CM but there seems a lack of initiative from the state government to support such projects." Alternative energy projects are solution to the current power shortage in country. "States should help such projects financially as villagers cannot afford to run it on their own", he added.

The biomass electrification project has a capacity of 50 kilowatt but due to paucity of financial resources and lack of raw material to run the plant, the project is currently running at a capacity of 15 KW. A village community has been formed to maintain and operate the facility and look after villagers' requirements. TERI would assist the project for 2 years, after which it would be transferred to the community.

Villagers were apprehensive about sustainability of the model as they were facing challenges in sourcing funds from the government. The minister assured that he would extend financial help to the villages to develop more such alternative energy projects.

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UP Government to provide subsidy of Rs. 30,000 to install solar power panels...

 

In order to provide solar power-run equipment to the beneficiaries of Ram Manohar Lohia Gramin Awas Yojna, the UP state authorities have decided to provide Rs 30,000 each to beneficiary to install solar power panels. Over 1.14 lakh beneficiaries would be benefited by the scheme.

The rural development department had consulted the agency concerned to select the model of fans, either ceiling or table, that would be suitable to run on solar power, simultaneously with light bulbs or CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps) in the villages.

Officials pointed out that the first and second phase of the scheme will be implemented simultaneously and completed in March next year. For the phase of 2012-13, the government had already released adequate funds to construct around 68,000 Lohia houses. It has also made a provision of over 500 crores to construct around 45,200 houses for the second phase of 2013-14.

It is yet to be decided whether UPNEDA will provide domestic solar equipment directly or cash would be given to beneficiaries to purchase solar fans. Under Lohia Grameen Awas Yojana, the state government has allotted funds for the scheme to provide shelter to homeless rural populace. UP Non-Conventional Energy Development Agency (NEDA) has been roped in for the purpose.

The agency would set up a centre to solve the grievances of the people in maintaining and operating domestic solar lights with a 5-year warranty.

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Discoms resume payments to power traders on debt recast...

 

Equipped with stronger cash flows after restructuring of their short-term debt by lenders, discoms, especially those from states like Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, have managed to pay R3,500 crore of their outstanding dues to power traders like PTC India, Lanco Infratech and NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam. Payments have resumed in the second quarter of this fiscal and more dues are to be cleared in the current quarter, sources said.

However, the discoms are yet to step up electricity purchases from the open market to meet their power shortfalls.

Four states—Rajasthan, Haryana, UP and Tamil Nadu, which accounted for more than 60% of R1.9 lakh crore debt of the state power sector estimated as at the end of March last year — have completed restructuring their discom loans, inspiring confidence in banks and financial institutions to resume lending to them.

Besides, these states have also hiked electricity tariffs by 20-37% since 2012 to access the benefit of financial restructuring plan (FRP) offered by the Centre, which has led to a sizeable increase in their discoms’ revenues. Significantly, the FRP stipulates timely revision of tariff by discoms to meet their expenditure-revenue gap in a time-bound manner.

Kameswara Rao, leader, energy utilities and mining, PWC said: “Judging from discoms' payment pattern, it appears that their cash flow position has materially improved.”

Salil Garg, an analyst with India Ratings, a credit rating agency, concurred. “Implementation of FRP by some states has not only improved their discoms' cash flows but has also proved positive for utilities' operations as they are required to revise tariffs on a regular basis,” Garg told.

Sources said after restructuring its debt, UP Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) has cleared entire R750 crore of power purchase dues to PTC India. The payment was due for more than a year. UPPCL has also started clearing its dues to NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN) and Lanco Infratech. NVVN sources told that the UP discom has cleared entire dues to the company. Lanco Infratech's total receivables on account of power supply to discoms have come down to R2,939 crore in the second quarter from R3,285

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Isolux gets more time for laying transmission lines in Uttar Pradesh...

 

The Energy Task Force headed by UP chief secretary Jawed Usmani on Monday extended the time limit to Isolux Corsan for laying transmission lines. The company is involved in laying transmission lines and construction of power sub-stations.

The final approval in this matter will be given by the Cabinet. Recently the UPPCL had extended the deadline till December 31, 2014, for the first phase of laying the transmission line, and August 31, 2015, for the second phase.

The Energy Task Force on this occasion reserved its decision on giving further extension to the agreement with nine companies. Hence, no decision on the nine power projects could be taken on Monday. The UPPCL had recently in a proposal gave an extension of 18 months to nine power projects signed through the MoU route during the Mayawati regime.

Awadhesh Varma of UP Rajya Vidyut Upbhogta Parishad said Isolux was assigned the task of laying transmission lines in 2011, and it was asked to complete it by January 2014. But, owing to usage of sub-standard conductors, the company came under the scanner and the process of laying transmission lines was delayed. Varma also said that the Parishad will approach the Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission against the decision to grant more time to Isolux.

He also claimed that on earlier occasion too the Upbhogta Parishad had raised the issue with the Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission on the proposal of Isolux to change the configuration of the transmission lines in the Rs 10,000 transmission project. It was only after the UPERC cracked the whip on Spanish Transmission Company that the company agreed to the conditions that it agreed to during the bid process.

Isolux Corsan has been showing interest in installing wires made out of aluminum, termed as All Aluminum Alloy Conductors (AAAC). The company, though, had bid for installation of ACSR conductors instead. Interestingly, in July last year, the Uttar Pradesh Transmission Corporation (UPTCL) had told the commission that the AAAC conductors' line losses will increase by 7% to 11%.

The letter issued by the UPTCL said by using AAAC conductors the company will be saving significantly in the capital cost due to lighter towers, lighter foundation and longer span, which will have a commercial implication on project cost and also on the tariff. The UPPTCL said such post contract changes are not possible as per Central Vigilance Commission guidelines.

The UPERC, in its order dated April 8, said since the conductor type to be used in the transmission line has been associated with ACSR conductor under the scope of work in the bid document, the panel has decided that only ACSR conductors shall be used in the construction of line. The commission also asked the corporation to submit its acceptance of conductors within two weeks from the date of the order under intimation to the commission.

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3 companies evince interest in drawing power from UP's thermal plants...

 

In a bid to extract power from the 1980 Mw thermal power plant proposed in Lalitpur and Ghatampur, three big players in power sector have evinced interest in laying transmission lines and construction of sub-stations.

Energy department sources said Reliance, Isolux and Sterlite have shown interest in the project that seeks to add a significant power input, if not to make the state self-reliant. Sources said the companies had been provided request for proposal (RFP) by the bid evaluation committee of the state government.

While Reliance power is already engaged in power generation, Isolux has been involved in construction of transmission lines. Reliance has always been close to the Samajwadi Party. Sterlite too happens to have shown interest in setting up a power plant in Uttar Pradesh under the Memorandum of Understanding route.

According to sources well placed and privy to the meeting of the bid evaluation committee, the three companies were shortlisted based on their experience and the bids they came up with.

The companies will be engaged in laying transmission lines of 765 Kv capacity from Agra and even Ghatampur which is situated about 30-40 km from southwest from Kanpur and about 120 km from the state capital. The project, a joint venture of UP Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam and Neyveli Lignite corporation, the project of 1980 Mw capacity was inaugurated last year by union coal minister Shri Prakash Jaiswal and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav.

Interestingly, the Isolux has fallen into a deep controversy over proposal to change the configuration of the transmission lines in the Rs 10,000 transmission project. It was only after the UP Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) cracked the whip on Spanish Transmission Company that the company agreed to the conditions that it agreed to during the bid process. Isolux Corsan has been showing interest in installing wires made out of aluminum, termed as All Aluminum Alloy Conductors (AAAC). The company, although, had bid for installation of ACSR conductors instead. Interestingly, in July last year, the UP Transmission Corporation (UPTCL) had told the commission that the AAAC conductors' line losses will increase by 7% to 11%.

The letter issued by the UP Transmission Corporation said by using AAAC conductors the company will be saving significantly in the capital cost due to lighter towers, lighter foundation and longer span, which will have a commercial implication on project cost and also on the tariff. The UPPTCL said such post contract changes are not possible as per Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) guidelines.

The UPERC, in its order dated April 8, said since the conductor type to be used in the transmission line has been associated with ACSR conductor under the scope of work in the bid document, the panel has decided that only ACSR conductors shall be used in the construction of line. The commission also asked the corporation to submit its acceptance of conductors within two weeks from the date of the order under intimation to the commission.

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Haryana, UP, Rajasthan, TN start Loan restructuring process for the Rs. 43,000 Crores power loan...

 

As many as four states-Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu-have taken over Rs 43,000 crore worth of short-term liabilities from their power distribution companies as part of the government's loan rejig process.

Four states have already started restructuring their short-term liabilities of the discoms, about Rs 43,000 crore of short-term liabilities have been taken over by the states, said Ashok Lavasa, additional secretary at the power ministry.

He said that Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu are now in talks with the financial institutions for the issuance of bonds etc. Last year, in a bid to turnaround the ailing electricity state electricity boards, the government cleared the financial restructuring plan.

Under the scheme, 50 per cent of the short-term outstanding liabilities would be taken over by state governments. Balance 50 per cent loans would be restructured by providing moratorium on principle and best possible terms for repayments. As per the approved scheme, 50 per cent of the outstanding liabilities up to March 31, 2012, are to be taken over by the state governments.

This shall be first converted into bonds to be issued by discoms to participating lenders, duly backed by the state government's guarantee. The outstanding liabilities of the state discoms as on March 2011 stand at about Rs 1.9 lakh crore and Rs 2.46 lakh crore till March 2012.

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BHEL bags Rs 1300 crore order from NTPC for the Feroze Gandhi Unchahar Thermal Power Project AT Uttar Pradesh...

 

State-run Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) said it has bagged an equipment supply contract worth Rs 1300 crore from NTPC Ltd.

NTPC has placed the order for supply and installation of the main plant package for a 500 mw thermal power project in Uttar Pradesh, an official statement said.

The order involves supply and installation of steam generator, steam turbine generator and electrics package for the upcoming 500 MW Feroze Gandhi Unchahar thermal power project.

The contract has been received from NTPC BHEL Power Projects Private Limited (NBPPL), a joint venture between NTPC and BHEL.

BHEL's scope of work in the contract envisages design, engineering, manufacture, supply, erection and commissioning of steam generator, steam turbine generator and their auxiliaries.

The key equipment for the project will be manufactured at BHEL's Trichy, Ranipet, Haridwar, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Bhopal Plants, while the company's power sector - northern region will be responsible for erection and commissioning of the equipment, the statement said.

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UP Government inaugurates 110 MW unit at kanti; assures a 500MW power plant soon...

 

Heralding a new era in the field of power generation in the state, CM Nitish Kumar on Sunday dedicated the 110MW first unit of Kanti Bijli Utpadan Nigam Limited (KBUNL) to the people of the state. He announced on the occasion that one more power plant of 500MW would come up at Kanti, on the outskirts of the town, soon.

Hitherto, the state's own power generation was nil. The 110MW first unit, which had remained closed since 2003, was given to BHEL for renovation in April 2008, which completed the task at a cost of Rs 471 crore. NTPC is operating this unit under the aegis of a joint venture with the state government. The unit, which never generated more than 60 to 80MW between 1985 and 2003, on Sunday generated 111MW.

The power plant's second unit, again of 110MW, which is also under renovation, would be operational by March next. This was stated by the CM following a categorical assurance by BHEL engineers on the stage.

Addressing a well-attended meeting on the occasion, the CM said two more units of 195MW each are expected to go into production by September and December next year, bringing the total capacity of Kanti plant to 610MW by next year. "Availability of power is the basic problem of Bihar as it is needed for agricultural and industrial growth as well as for better civic life. I have taken energy augmentation as a challenge. I am committed to make Bihar self-sufficient in power generation by 2015," the CM announced.

He said on the day of Chhath, the state got 2,300MW power through different sources. The availability will go up to 3,000MW next year and with the setting up of one more power plant, the state's generation capacity would increase further. He called upon NTPC CMD, Arup Roychaudhary, also present on the occasion, to set up new units in Bihar and assured Bihar's full cooperation to NTPC.

The CM requested the power consumers to pay their power bills on time, otherwise the government might have to curtail its essential expenditure on education, health etc. He told the audience that out of Rs 12,000 crore received from the Centre as special assistance, the government had spent Rs 9,200 crore on power projects alone.

JD(U) MLA from Kanti, Ajit Kumar thanked the CM for keeping his promise of power generation augmentation at Kanti. Energy minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav was also present on the occasion.

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