Union Power Minister M. Veerappa Moily today assured that no power project will suffer for want of fuel during the 12th Plan period.
About 92,000 MW of power projects which are under various stages of implementation will be assured fuel supply without any constraints. However, this will be limited to coal as there is no gas available.
Addressing a press conference here before the foundation stone laying ceremony for a PowerGrid project, the Union Minister said priority will be given to those developed by the State sector. Even private one’s will get necessary fuel supplies.
All arrangements for coal supplies and fuel supply agreements have been made.
He said no fuel supply agreement has been signed since 2009. But all necessary steps have now been taken to ensure fuel for all projects coming up in the country on a priority basis. Even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is closely monitoring the situation.
A high-level meeting is scheduled on October 16 with the Coal Ministry and CIL to sort out the problems.
The Power Minister hinted at the prospect of setting up of a National Electricity Fund without elaborating on the initiative.
States such as Maharashtra, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry will be integrated with the National network by 2014 making it possible to evacuate power even from Arunachal Pradesh to the South and vice versa.
Referring to capacity addition in the 11th Plan period, he said that about 43 per cent capacity was added to the system by the private sector.
The Government is laying special focus on renewable energy sources where wind power alone is projected to see major capacity boost during the current Plan.
rishikumar.vundi
@thehindu.co.in