There are no immediate fuel concerns for thermal power plants in the country, as coal linkages for capacity additions in the Eleventh as well as the Twelfth Plan periods have been fixed, but after that problems may crop up, according to the Union Minister for Power, Mr Sushilkumar Shinde.
The Minister was addressing presspersons at the Simhadri power plant of NTPC at Parawada in Visakhapatnam after declaring the full load commercial operation of the third unit (500 MW) of the plant. With this, the generating capacity of Simhadri plant has gone up to1,500 MW. One more unit (500 MW) will be added after the completion of the second phase (expansion project).
Mr Shinde said all attempts were being made to add to the power capacities as well as to reduce the transmission and distribution losses to bridge energy deficit in the country. “We are confident of achieving the Eleventh Plan capacity addition target and various projects with a combined capacity of 12,000 MW are in progress,” he said. The installed power generation capacityhad gone up from 1,22,000 MW in 2006, when he had assumed charge as the Power Minister, to 1,80,000 MW now.
He said NTPC was expanding its activities to other countries such as Sri Lanka and taking up projects there. He said the rehabilitation issues as well as environmental issues would be taken up seriously by NTPC in all project areas. “I am told there are environmental issues in three villages here and also rehabilitation issues. I have instructed the CMD of NTPC to look into those issues and take suitable steps,” he said.
More power for AP
On the demand for more power to Andhra Pradesh from NTPC-Simhadri unit, he said the entire power (1,000 MW) had gone to Andhra Pradesh and the State was also getting some share in the second phase. “These issues will have to be looked at from a national perspective as well, even though we have to take into account the needs of the State where the plants are located. A balance would have to be struck,” he explained.
Mr A. Roy Choudhury, Chairman and Managing Director, NTPC, was also present at the press meet.