| Power Update
NTPC to spend Rs 7,341 crore for second phase of Barh
NTPC Ltd plans to spend about Rs 7,341 crore for setting up
the second phase of the Barh Super Thermal Power Project in
Bihar. The first stage consisting of three units of 660 MW
each is currently under implementation.
Contact: NTPC.
Tel: 011-2436 0100. Fax: 011- 2436 1018.
E-mail: info@ntpc.co.in, Website: www.ntpc.co.in
Green Ventures India fund
for renewable energy project
Green Ventures India, a subsidiary of Green Ventures International,
a New York-based asset management company, plans to invest
$300 mn (Rs 1,200 crore) in renewable energy projects and
supporting trading in carbon credits through private equity.
The fund is likely to be launched in the second quarter of
the current year. Green Ventures will also provide expertise
in the validation process and help earn a better price for
the CERs (Certified Emission Reduction).
Contact: Green Ventures India.
Tel: 022-4002 3730.
Website: greenventuresfunds.com
SEPL to manufacture sun cubes
Square Engineering Pvt Ltd (SEPL) has set up a facility at
Satara to manufacture sun cubes based on the hi-tech concentrator
photovoltaic technology (CPV) that will use space technology
for terrestrial applications. SEPL will begin manufacturing
the sun cubes under license from Australian renewable energy
company Green and Gold Energy (GGE) by May.
The initial plan is to make 1 lakh units per annum that will
translate into 30 MW of installed capacity. This will be ramped
up to 100 MW (3 lakh cubes per annum) by setting up a second
greenfield plant at Satara that will become operational by
December at a total investment of Rs 80 crore. CPV cells are
being sourced from US-based Emcore Corporation.
Contact: Square Engineering Pvt. Ltd.
Tel: 020-2551 2740/41.
E-mail: admin@squareengg.com
Website: www.squareengg.com
East-West pipeline to be commissioned shortly
The East-West pipeline to evacuate gas from Reliance Industries
block in the Krishna-Godavari basin is set to be commissioned
in the next three months. The company has set the second week
of May as an internal deadline for commissioning the 1,440-km
pipeline.
Contact:Reliance Industries Ltd.
Website: www.ril.com
Tata Power to set up plant at Mundra
Tata Power Trading Co will spend
Rs 17,500 crore ($4.2 billion) on a plant at Mundra to generate
4,000 MW of
electricity. Tata Power may import 12 mn tonne of coal for
the plant and is currently evaluating options on how to mitigate
freight costs. The company has set up a subsidiary in Singapore
and is mulling over plans for buying ships too for importing
coal.
Contact: The Tata Power Co. Ltd.
Tel: 022-6665 8282. Fax: 022-6665 8801.
Website: www.tatapower.com
Essar awarded offshore block in Vietnam
Essar Oil has bagged an offshore gas block in Vietnam's Song
Hong basin, where it plans to invest $60 mn (Rs 242.6 crore)
in hydrocarbon prospecting. Mauritius-based Essar Exploration
and Production (EEPL), a subsidiary of Essar Oil, was awarded
the 5,925 sq km block under Vietnam's recent licensing round,
in which seven offshore blocks were offered.
The company has done geological and geophysical studies,
reprocessing of selected existing 2D seismic data, acquisition,
processing and interpretation of fresh 3D seismic data of
1,000 sq km, and drilling of two explo-ratory wells.
Contact: Essar Oil Ltd.
Tel: 02833-241 444. Fax: 02833-241 414.
E-mail: contactoil@essar.com
Website: www.essar.com
Petronet to set up power units in Dahej, Kochi
Petronet LNG is planning to set up a 1,500 MW gas-based power
unit in Dahej and a 760 MW unit in Kochi. The company has
already received land allocation for the Dahej power unit
and is waiting for the same for the Kochi unit.
Contact: Petronet LNG Ltd.
Tel: 011-2341 1411/3130. Fax: 011-2341 4271.
E-mail: webmaster@petronetlng.com
Website: www.petronetlng.com
Budget throws ONGC plans in turmoil
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) will review its proposed
new refineries at Kakinada and Mangalore after Finance Minister
P Chidambaram withdrew tax holidays from new and expanded
refineries which begin operations after April 1, 2009. However,
Reliance Petroleum's under-construction 27-mtpa refinery will
get the tax benefit as it is scheduled to begin operation
in December 2008.
Contact: Oil and Natural Gas Corporation.
Tel: 0135-2759 561-67/2752 161-65.
Website: www.ongcindia.com
NHPC to double capacity by 2012
NHPC will double its power generation capacity to become a
10,000 MW-plus corporation by 2011-12 at an investment of
Rs 28,000 crore. Work on the construction of a dam at India's
largest hydel power project of 2,000 MW (Subansiri lower)
in Arunachal Pradesh will start by December, while powerhouse
work is already on.
Contact: NHPC.
E-mail: webmaster@nhpc.nic.in
Website: nhpcindia.com
WB to enhance power capacity by 4,000 MW
West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation Ltd (WBGEDCL)
has drawn up a plan to add 400 MW power capacity in the state
through renewable energy sources by the end of 2012. The corporation
has also planned a 30 MW solar power park in Purulia which
entails an investment of Rs 600 crore. WBGEDCL aims to electrify
around 1,000 villages in the state through renewable energy
by the end of 2012. This year the target for electrification
is 76 villages, out of which 18 are in North Bengal and the
remain-
ing in Sunderbans, Murshidabad and West Midnapore.
Contact: West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation
Limited.
Tel: 033-2210 5361-65. Fax: 033-2248 3737.
E-mail: wbidc@vsnl.com Website: www.wbidc.com
NTPC, UPRVUNL join hands
NTPC has formed a joint venture agreement with the Uttar Pradesh
Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (UPRVUNL) for the implementation
of 2 x 660 MW coal-based thermal power projects at Meja in
Allahabad. The company has signed a loan
agreement of € 68.56 mn (approx Rs. 437.6 crore) with
Nordic Investment Bank, a multilateral financial institution
owned by the Nordic and Baltic countries, to part finance
the capital expenditure of its projects.
Contact: NTPC.
Tel: 011-2436 0100. Fax: 011- 2436 1018.
E-mail: info@ntpc.co.in Website: www.ntpc.co.in
Godawari mulls entry into thermal power sector
Godawari Power and Ispat Ltd (GPIL) is planning to enter into
the commercial power generation sector by executing projects
in Chhattisgarh or Jharkhand with capacities ranging between
300 to 1,000 MW with coal and coal rejects as fuel. A consortium
led by GPIL has been allocated four coal blocks in Chhattisgarh
with 243 mn tonne of total reserves, of which, GPIL's share
is 63 mn tonne. Of this, 40-50 per cent will be wastage such
as coal ash and gases during coal processing.
GPIL is also setting up a coal washery unit and a 0.6 mega
tonne per annum pelletisation plant with an overall capital
expenditure of Rs 230 crore. This expansion will reduce the
raw material cost helping increase operating margins up to
40 per cent.
Contact: Godawari Power and Ispat Ltd.
Tel: 0771-4282 731/700. Fax: 0771-4057 601.
E-mail: info@gpilindia.in
Website: www.gpilindia.com
Emco to sell power the hybrid way
Emco Ltd will implement a hybrid model for selling power from
the upcoming 540-MW merchant power plant in Warora in Chandrapur
district of Maharashtra. A consortium led by Axis Bank is
funding Rs 1,000 crore, while the company will invest Rs 240
crore in the project. Coal will be sourced from Chhattisgarh.
Equipment such as boilers, turbines and generators will be
sourced from China. The plant will be operational from 2010.
Contact: Emco Ltd.
Tel: 022-2583 0517-24/4040 4500.
Fax: 022-2582 0571/2583 0510.
E-mail: emco@emcoindia.com
Website: www.emcoindia.com
80,000 MW to be generated in next four years
The Union Government has set a target to generate 80,000 MW
from conventional sources over the next four years. It is
investing Rs 60,000 crore to generate, distribute and transmit
electricity. However, there is no policy in place as yet that
makes it mandatory
for a percentage of all power generated by a certain date
to come from renewable sources.
Contact: Ministry of Power.
Tel: 011-2371 0271. Website: powermin.nic.in
TN to create power transmission corporation
The Tamil Nadu Government has decided to create a transmission
corporation to link the proposed merchant power projects with
the power grid. The state is clearing over 20 merchant power
projects, that are expected to generate over 25,000 MW over
the next three years. The power from these facilities will
have to be supplied to the northern and southern states. The
Tamil Nadu Electricity Board has been an exception to the
provision of the Central Electricity Act, 2003, which calls
for unbundling of the electricity board.
Contact: The Tamil Nadu Government.
Website: www.tn.gov.in
1,320-MW power project coming up at Jhajjar
Haryana Power Generation Corporation Ltd (HPGCL) will set
up a 1,320-MW power project at an investment of Rs 7,000 crore
at Jhajjar. The process of acquiring 1,221 acre for this project
is in the final stage. Environmental clearance for the project
is already under consideration by the Ministry of Environment
and Forests. Coal linkage has been allocated by Coal India
Limited from Central Coal Fields and Mahanadi Coal Fields
and the irrigation department has committed 150 cusec of water
needed for
the project.
Contact: Haryana Power Generation. Corporation Ltd. Website:
www.hpgcl.org
NCL, NLC to set up Rs 5,200 crore project
Northern Coalfields Ltd (NCL) and Neyveli Lignite Corporation
(NLC) will invest Rs 5,200 crore for setting up a 1,000 MW
pit-head power station at Gorbi mines in the Singrauli Coalfields.
The scope of the project also includes mine development. While
Rs 4,500 crore will go for setting up the pit-head power unit,
another Rs 700 crore will be invested for development of mines.
A SPV will be floated to execute the project. The project
will help NCL directly feed the power stations of Panipat,
Rajghat and Indraprastha.
Contact: Northern Coalfields Ltd.
Tel: 07805-266 670/393. Fax: 07805-266 640.
Website: ncl.gov.in
TN approves Rs 865 crore co-generation power plants
The Tamil Nadu Government has cleared a Rs 865 crore plan
to set up 185 MW of co generation power plants in the cooperative
and public sector sugar mills. The Tamil Nadu Electricity
Board (TNEB) will set up the power plants jointly with the
Sugar Department, which runs the 15 co-operative sugar and
two public sector mills. The mills will lease the land to
TNEB to implement the project. TNEB will raise a 13-year loan
from the Rural Electrification Corporation Ltd for covering
about 80-90 per cent of the project cost.
Contact: The Tamil Nadu Government. Tel: 044-2566 5566. Website:
www.tn.gov.in
Anil Ambani urges govt to expedite clearances for Sasan project
The Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group-promoted Reliance Power is
expecting necessary clearances from the Union and state governments
shortly for its 4,000 MW Sasan Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP)
in Madhya Pradesh. Anil Ambani, Chairman of ADAG, has asked
the state government to speed up the clearance process for
faster implementation. A delay in Sasan project may put other
power-related projects in trouble since Reliance Power is
yet to confirm a commissioning schedule for the UMPP.
Contact: Reliance Power Ltd. Tel: 022- 3038 6010.
Fax: 022-3037 6633. E-mail: reliancepower.ipo@relianceada.com,
Website: www.reliancepower.co.in
ICSA negotiating with companies for oil, gas projects
ICSA (India) Limited, a Hyderabad-based embedded software
solutions and technology provider is holding talks with four
oil and gas companies, both in public and private sectors,
in India and Malaysia, for deploying its iCAP (intelligent
cathodic protection) solution for pipeline projects. It is
looking at garnering Rs 100 crore revenues from these projects
during the next financial year.
The company is planning to utilise part of the $46 million
(around Rs 184 crore) that it had raised from global investment
bank Goldman Sachs through issuance of FCCBs in 2007 to fund
acquisitions.
Contact: ICSA (India) Limited.
Tel: 040-2311 5619/4923/4928. Fax: 040-2311 4921. E-mail:
info@icsa-india.com
Website: www.icsa-india.com
Budget makes provision for power sector
Finance Minister P Chidambaram announced a new fund in the
power sector that will focus on transmission and distribution
reforms. The Government will also be pushing for at least
five new Ultra Mega Power Projects (UMPPs) to the bidding
stage, with three of these already awarded to private sector
players and a fourth one slated to be awarded shortly.
The Eleventh Plan targets for additional power generation
capacity of 78,577 MW.
The FM proposed to provide Rs 800 crore in 2008-09 for the
ongoing Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme
and Rs 5,500 crore for the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran
Yojana. Other proposals impacting the sector include an announcement
to reduce general project import duty from 7.5 per cent to
5 per cent. Besides, for projects (other than those designated
as mega power projects), the exemption from additional customs
duty of 4 per cent has been withdrawn. An additional customs
duty has also been introduced on goods for high voltage transmission
and distribution projects.
Contact: Ministry of Power. Tel: 011-2371 0271. Website:
powermin.nic.in.
India needs 2.34 bn tonne coal by 2031-32
The Integrated Energy Plan formulated by the Centre has envisaged
a coal re-quirement of about 2.34 bn tonne by 2031-32. The
estimated investment on the overall coal sector by that period
will be around $100 bn (around Rs 400,000 crore) bn which
inclu-des the investment on raw coal production, clean coal
technologies like coal bed methane, technological manpower,
coal imports and logistics. Out of a total 17,000 sq km of
coal bearing area in the country, only 5,400 sq km is fully
explored (8 holes per sq km) and another 12,000 sq km is regionally
explored (1-2 holes per sq km). Every year, the total drilling
requirement will be 1 mn mt along with commensurate coring,
sampling analysis and report preparation involving an investment
of Rs 400 crore. contact: Ministry of Coal. Website : www.coal.nic.in.
GAIL to spin subsidiary for gas distribution
GAIL (India) Ltd will set up a separate subsidiary for its
city gas distribution (CGD) and compressed natural gas (CNG)
corridor business. To begin with, 17 cities have been identified
for such projects entailing an initial investment of Rs 500
crore by 2012. The subsidiary company will also set up infrastructure
in various cities and along the national highways for building
CNG corridors. This includes natural gas compressor stations,
laying of pipelines from city gate station(s) to the consumption
areas and associated facilities, setting up of distribution
points and retail outlets for CNG and auto LPG and transport
gas. GAIL is also studying the feasibility of setting up a
joint venture with private pipe manufacturing companies for
manufacture and laying of pipelines.
Contact: GAIL (India) Ltd.Tel: 011-2617 2580/2618 2955. Fax:
11- 26185941.
Website: www.gailonline.com
RS to set up energy farm
RS India Group is setting up the first integrated renewable
energy farm in the country at Satara, Maharashtra. The first
phase of the Rs 700-crore project, for which 1,400 acre has
been acquired, will have an installed capacity to generate
100 MW wind power, 5 MW of solar power and extract bio-diesel
from jatropha plantations on 225 hectare. The second phase
of the project involves adding installed capacity of another
200 MW of wind energy and planting jatropha on another 225
hectare. Denmark-based Vestas RRB will set up wind turbines
in the first phase. The second phase will be commissioned
by December, while a third phase is also on the anvil taking
the total installed capacity to 500 MW by the end of 2009.
Contact : Vestas RRB India Ltd.Tel: 011-4055 2222. Fax: 011-4055220.
E-mail: pawanshakthi@vestasrrb.com
GAIL, Reliance to execute projects in Qatar, Russia
GAIL (India) Ltd and Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) are planning
to form a joint venture company to execute petrochemicals
projects in Qatar and Russia. Meanwhile GAIL is looking for
another Indian company as partner for its likely business
venture with Russian oil firm Lukoil for building a petrochemical
plant and liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Saudi Arabia
and is also in talks with Qatar's state-owned Qatar Petroleum
to build a petrochemical plant.
Contact: GAIL (India) Ltd.
Tel: 011-2617 2580/2618 2955. Fax: 11- 26185941. Website:
www.gailonline.com
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