Adhunik Power and Natural Resources Ltd (APNRL), a 97.96 per cent subsidiary of Kolkata-headquartered Adhunik Metaliks Ltd, plans to commission the second phase of its 1,080 MW thermal power plant in Jharkhand by mid-2015.
Under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the Jharkhand government in 2009, APNRL will generate 1,080 MW, to be developed in two phases of 540 MW each.
Each phase will have two units of 270 MW, at an estimated investment of over Rs 3,000 crore.
The first 270 MW unit of Phase I was commissioned on Tuesday at Padampur in Saraikela district of Jharkhand. The second unit, with similar capacity, is likely to be commissioned by March 2013.
Linkages
According to Naresh Goyal, President (Power) of APNRL, the company is in talks with banks for the financial closure of the second phase.
“Currently, we are in discussions with banks for financial closure and land acquisition for the second phase (2 x 270MW) of the project. The second phase is expected to be completed in another 28-30 months,” he said.
According to Goyal, APNRL has obtained tapering coal linkages from Coal India Ltd (CIL) to meet the current requirement of its 270MW unit.
Eventually, coal will be sourced from APNRL and Tata Steel’s captive mines (allocated on a 50-50 joint venture basis) at Ganeshpur for the Padampur plant in Jharkhand.
The mine is likely to be operational during the second quarter of FY14, officials said.
The company has so far signed power purchase agreements with Jharkhand State Electricity Board, Power Trading Corporation, Tata Power Trading Company and West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd, aggregating to a total of 435 MW.
Jharkhand scenario
Meanwhile, the Jharkhand Chief Minister, Arjun Munda, said his government was planning to add 8,000 MW of power generation capacities in the 12th Plan period (2012-17).Of this, around 1,000 MW is expected to be commissioned by January.
“In January, we will commission three power plants — two in Latechar and one in Kalwa — in order to add 1,000 MW of power,” Munda said here at the inauguration of APNRL’s first thermal power unit.