Top headlines from power sector of last week: VMR

Last Week Top Headlines of Power Sector....

• The 4,000 MW Tilaiya ultra mega power project (UMPP) in Jharkhand, abandoned by Reliance Power, is likely to be auctioned afresh as most of its consumers want to avoid litigation. In the meeting held last Tuesday, the procurers of Tilaiya UMPP generally appreciated that paying the Rs 125 crore compensation as per the contract will be the best solution in the interest of the project as legal recourse will only delay it. After paying off the company, the procurers can re-bid the plant.

• Construction of two 700-MW nuclear power units at the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station (RAPS) is progressing fast and preparatory work to install the coolant channels was on. Welding of end shield and calandria is over. Preparation work for core components - coolant channels - has started. It will take six months to complete.

• National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to NTPC and Bridge and Roof Company (India) Ltd for alleged illegal excavation of sand for construction of 1,600 MW thermal power station at Gardarwara in Narsinghpur district of Madhya Pradesh.

• The tariff for electricity generated by the Kudankulam NPP will remain at the level set by the Indian Government in 2010 – 2011, with no hikes, Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation "Rosatom" has said.

• The Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) would set up a 1,600-MW super critical thermal power plant with a total capital investment of Rs 11,363.18 crore at Basundhara in Sundargarh district.

• NTPC will invest over Rs.5,000 crore on expansion of Simhadri Super Thermal Power Station near Parawada. The district administration has been approached for allotment of site required for the Brownfield project.

• Solar manufacturer and solutions provider Waaree Energies Ltd commissioned a 27.5-mw DC solar power plant for Roha Dyechem Pvt Ltd at Bhadla solar park in Rajasthan.

• The central government will bail out close to 21,400 MW of power plants by assuring coal linkage through new fuel supply agreements (FSAs). These plants comprise the power projects whose commissioning date was delayed due to several reasons, including fuel supply crunch. Of this, 2,415 Mw would get tapering linkage and rest would be long-term linkage.

• Odisha state government hopes to bag the Baitarani West coal block soon for its PSU, Odisha Thermal Power Corporation (OTPCL), a 50:50 joint venture between Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) and Odisha Hydro Power Corporation (OHPC).

• The government is likely to allow companies to divert coal supply to efficient power plants from inefficient plants to generate more electricity with the available fuel.

• Coal imports dropped by 27.16 per cent to 12.6 million tonnes (MT) last month from a year-ago period on the back of rise in domestic production.

• The Coal Ministry has made a one-time exception to allow captive power plants to participate in the e-auction for coal by Coal India.

• In light of there being sufficient coal stocks at thermal power plants across India, producer Coal India Limited (CIL) has been granted greater flexibility in offering higher volumes for sale through e-auction.

• Relaxing earlier restrictions, an expert panel of the environment ministry has recommended a two-fold increase in the ash content of imported coal from 12% to 25%, giving in to demands of the Association of Power Producers (APP), who are highly dependant on the imported fossil fuel.

• Of the two key power transmission projects put up for tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB), state-owned Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL) won the Rs 7,032-crore Vemagiri-II transmission project, one of the costliest projects to come under the bidding route this year.

• Of the two key power transmission projects put up for tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB), Kalpataru Power Transmission bagged the second project — the Rs 2,240-crore Bhutan inter-link. The project, based in West Bengal, would help in evacuation of power from upcoming hydro projects in Bhutan.

• Renewable energy firm Gamesa has bagged a 100-MW wind power project from Hero Group to set up 50 wind turbines in Madhya Pradesh.

Virginia Mining Resources would be closely tracking the developments on the subject and other events in the mining & resource sector and bringing you the same.