NTPC’s Gidderbaha power plant to start generation by March 2015

The first to roll out in November 2012 will be the 2640 MW Talwandi Sabo mega power plant being developed by the Starlite Group. Its first unit of 660 MW will be commissioned in November 2012 while its remaining three units will get operational in interval of three months of one another. Punjab is entitled to 100 per cent share in power generated by the first three units. But in the fourth,sanctioned under the New Power Generation Policy,2010,state’s share is limited to 15 per cent,five per cent of which can ve availed at variable cost and 10 per cent at the bidding rate. Starlite has applied to the union ministry for grant of coal linkage for the fourth unit.

It will be followed by commissioning of the first unit of the Goinwal Sahib Power Plant in January 2013. Being developed by the GVK Group,the 540-MW project has been hanging fire for more than a decade since it was first sanctioned. Its second unit (270 MW) will be commissioned after four months. GVK has been sanctioned a coal block in Jharkhand which it will develop and mine to meet its total coal requirement for the project.

Then lined up for commissioning in January 2014 is the first unit of 2800-MW Rajpura Thermal Plant being developed by the L&T Group. Punjab has 100 per cent share in its first three units (700 MW each) while the fourth,sanctioned under the New Generation Policy,would allow the power producer to sell the remaining 85 per cent in the grid.

Also coming under the new generation policy is the 660 MW supercritical thermal plant of India Bulls at Mansa. “The land for the project is under acquisition. Since it is a greenfield project and not an extension of an existing plant,Punjab can exercise the right to be allocated up to 70 per cent of power generated by this plant under the policy,” Chabbra added.