India

The Uttar Pradesh government has proposed budgetary provisions of US$1.8 billion towards various projects in the power sector during the fiscal 2011-12. Finance Minister Lalji Verma stated this while presenting the state budget for year 2011-12 here today in the state assembly. Out of this amount, US$278.9 million has been earmarked for augmenting the generation capacity in the state. An amount of US$44 million has been proposed to be kept aside for thermal power project being set up at Ghatampur, Kanpur in a joint collaboration with Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited. By the end of 11th Five Year Plan, the state hopes to get 2000 MW from the state-run projects, 2130 MW from the private sector, 450 MW from MoU route projects and 1571 MW from various projects being implemented by the central agencies, the Minister told the House. Presently, the state was not in a comfortable position as far as the power sector is concerned and a huge gap exists between demand and supply.

The shutdown of five units of NTPC’s thermal power plant at Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district started a power crisis in Bihar.

The construction of the 1,000MW Sagardighi thermal plant in West Bengal, India, is expected to commence in two months.

WAPDA received a $20 million grant from the USAID  for the construction of the Gomal Zam Dam project. It is the first tranche of payment

The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development has signed an agreement with the Government of the Bangladesh to provide a loan of US$51 million.

The CERC will not penalize TNEB for failure to maintain grid discipline on several occasions during March-April 2010. It was a violation of the provisions of the Indian Electricity Grid Code.

India will add a total of 10 hydroelectric plants with an aggregate capacity of 2,894 MW.

Two projects hydroelectric projects conceived for the state of Sikkim with a total capacity of 530 MW, are hindered due to agitation from local inhabitants. NHPC's 370 MW Shamnot HEP, in Jammu & Kashmir, and Tehri Hydro Development Corporation's 60 MW Gohana Tal HEP in Uttarakhand are also held up due to environmental and policy related issues.

Initial work for the construction of the Diamer-Basha dam with a reservoir capacity of 32,374 million square metres, has begun.

Reliance Power wants urgent allocation of 9.6 MMSCMD of domestic natural gas, to fuel its 2,400 MW Samalkot expansion project in Andhra Pradesh.

India's Ministry of Power has allocated power from the 120 MW Rammam Stage-III hydro electric project of NTPC in West Bengal.

The plan  to ramp-up the capacity of the Dabhol power plant by another 2,200 MW may be nipped in bud.

Sri Lanka has called for certain changes in the draft power purchase agreement  for the 2x250 MW coal-based Trincomalee power project.

ADB will be providing a loan to help fund the first privately owned and financed wind farm in Pakistan.

The Beta Infratech Private Limited's 358 MW gas-based combined cycle power plant at Kashipur has been accorded environmental clearance. The land requirement for the plant is about 30 acres, which is available in the Phase-II of Nandnagar Industrial Estate. The water requirement for the proposed plant will be 864m3/day, while the natural gas requirement is pegged at 1.17 MMSCMD. Alongside, the Ministry of Environment and Forests has also cleared Sravanthi Energy Private Limited`s 225 MW expansion to the same capacity gas-based CCPP, which is presently under construction at Kashipur. The land requirement for the expansion unit will be 7 acres, which is in the notified industrial land. The water requirement is pegged at 600m3/day, which will be obtained from the ground water within plant through bore well.  

NTPC plans to become a 75-GW company by 2017 and with an installed capacity of 128 GW by 2032. It also eyes a well diversified fuel mix comprising 56 per cent coal, 16 per cent gas, 11 percent nuclear energy, 9 percent renewable energy and 8 per cent hydro power-based capacity.