65,000 MW power by 2017

India’s rising electricity consumption will get addressed to a large extent in 2-3 years after commissioning of various thermal and hydro-electric power plants.

Agartala: India will add 65,000 MW of power during the 12th five year plan (2012-17) as various power projects will be commissioned by then, union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said.

“India’s electricity needs will be solved to a large extent in two-three years after the commissioning of various thermal and hydro-electric power plants now under various stages of construction,” Shinde said here after the opening ceremony of a power project.

“This is for the first time in 60 years (after India’s independence) that 9,500 MW power was added in a single year (April 2009-March 2010),” he said.

The minister said the 65,000 MW would augment India’s growth rate in all areas.

The Tripura state-owned North Eastern Electric Power Corp (NEEPCO) would set up a 52 MW power plant in western Tripura. The Rs. 292 crore plant would be run by water and the heat emitted from its existing 84 MW thermal power project.

The proposed combined cycle extension power plant is to be commissioned at Ramchandranagar, 25 km from here. It is the second of its kind after the Kathalguri gas-based combined cycle project in eastern Assam.

“The new power plant will be commissioned within 30 months from the starting of the work,” NEEPCO chairman and managing director IP Barooah told.

“The existing 84 MW natural gas-based Ramchandranagar power project, commissioned in 1997, has been discharging on an average 420 degrees Celsius heat following the burning of the gas. The emitted heat involving water will run additional turbines to generate electricity,” he said.

Teesta Urja Limited in Sikkim is also said to be on track to achieve the accelerated commissioning of schedule of March 2012 for commissioning all the six 200 MW units of the 1,200 MW Teesta Hydro Electric Project (HEP) Stage-III, in the North Sikkim district of Sikkim.

Around 11.3 KM of head race tunnel (HRT) excavation work has already been wrapped up, out of the total of 13.816 KM. Besides, 94% tail race tunnel (TRT) excavation is completed, while excavation of diversion tunnel, flushing tunnel heading and all the access tunnels have also been completed.

As per the original schedule, only the first three units were slated to be commissioned in the 2011-12 fiscal, leaving the remaining units for 2012-13, the optimistic project developer is entertaining high hopes of putting the entire project on the bus bas withing the 11th plan.

(With inputs from iGovernment and Prosperingindianpowersector.blogspot.com/
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