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Ghatampur thermal plant: Uttar Pradesh may agree to Assam’s request for 20% stake, 25% share in power
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma wrote to his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath recently on the issue
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Uttar Pradesh may agree to Assam’s request for 20% stake in the upcoming Ghatampur (Kanpur) 1980 megawatt (MW) supercritical thermal power station and for 25% share in the electricity to be generated by the plant.
Officials aware of the issue revealed that energy task force (ETF) has discussed the Assam government’s request after Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently wrote a letter to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath in this regard.
Chief secretary Durga Shankar Mishra chaired the ETF meeting.
“The ETF has sought clarifications on certain issues before it takes a final call on the issue next week and a proposal allowing Assam to have equity and power share in the plant is put before the Cabinet for its nod,” a senior energy department official said.
The Neyveli Uttar Pradesh Ltd (NUPPL), a joint venture of Neyveli Lignite Corporation of India and Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd (UPRVUNL), is setting up the coal-fired supercritical power plant of 1980 MW consisting of three units of 660 MW each at Ghatampur near Kanpur. The plant broke ground in 2016 and its first unit is scheduled to be commissioned by the year-end.
According to the MoU signed between the Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) and the UPRVUNL in 2010, a minimum 75% of power from Ghatampur TPS was be allocated to Uttar Pradesh and 15% of the installed capacity was kept unallocated at the disposal of the Central government. It was subjected to allocation among bulk power consumers from time to time. Allocation of balance power subsequently was left the discretion of the minister of power.
“NLC and U.P. have equity share in the plant in 51:49 ratio,” the official said, adding “The total cost of the plant is more than ₹16,000 crore.”
In June, Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd (APDCL) asked for a 20% equity participation in the upcoming plant.
“Recently, the Assam chief minister also wrote a letter to his U.P. counterpart, requesting nod for investing in the plant to the extent of 20% stake and signing a long-term power purchase agreement to buy 25% of power from the plant,” the official said.
U.P. may allow the equity share participation by Assam also because the UP Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) has reduced U.P’s share from the original 75% (1683 MW) to 65% (1279 MW).
After Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Uttarakhand refused to accept the unallocated share of power from the plant, the ministry of power offered an increased share of 1843.68 MW to U.P. The commission observed that thermal portfolio already dominated in U.P. with no optimum utilisation of capacity, resulting in stranded capacity charges for the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL).
