UPA largesse on coal linkage: Karnataka plans 2 thermal power plants

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Mar 4: With a largesse expected from the Congress-led UPA regime soon, Karnataka is planning to set up two new thermal power plants to meet the growing demands for power in the State.
 
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme organised in Bangalore on Tuesday to sign Power Purchase Agreements for getting 892 MW of power from the Kudankulam nuclear power plant and the Damodar Valley Corporation of India, Energy Minister D K Shivakumar said the UPA regime was expected to provide coal linkage to various power projects in the State.

The minister said the State Government was searching for suitable locations to set up the proposed power plants.

"We have got a list of suitable sites available in various regions from the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board and we will indentify the locations soon,” he said.

The Government has to examine the feasibility in terms of availability of both water and land," the minister said.

He also indicated that the size of the proposed plants is yet to be decided.

He said the Union Government had given a positive assurance to Karnataka of providing coal linkage if it comes out with proposals for setting up new thermal power plants.

"We are trying to use this opportunity to set up the new power plants to increase the State’s installed power capacity," he said.

In addition to allotting a coal block in Orissa for the proposed 1,320-MW thermal power project in Gulbarga, he said the Centre had also advised the State to take up the Phase-II of the project.

However, there was a shortage of about 300 acres in the project site at Gulbarga for taking up the Phase-II of the project. The State Government would acquire the remaining land, he said.

Shivakumar said that the Centre had given direction to the Coal India to allot coal on a preferential basis for the third generating unit of the Bellary Thermal Power Station with a capacity of 800 MW.
 
Similarly, the Union Ministry of Power had also recommended to the Coal Ministry to provide coal linkage to the second generating unit of Yeramarus thermal power plant.

With this, both the power plants would be set up within the prescribed deadline, he added.