PATNA: Ganga Power and Natural Resources (GPNR) Ltd last week signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB) for setting up a super critical thermal power project (2×660 MW) at Pirpainty in Bhagalpur district. The plant is expected to generate power by December 2014.
GPNR CMD and director signed the MoU in the presence of BSEB chairman P K Rai.
An application has been submitted to the department of industries for acquisition of 900 acres of land spread over Jairambandhu, Rajganj, Govindpur, Laxmipur, Hiranand and Roshanpur villages in Pirpainty.
The power project has qualified for long term coal linkage. The Central Electricity Authority ( CEA) has sent a recommendation to the coal ministry for 6.9 million metric tonnes of coal per annum (MTPA) to the project.
Bihar government has allotted 60 million cubic meter of water for this plant. A no-objection certificate has already been received from the Central Water Commission. For environment clearance, a project report has been sent to the Bihar State Pollution Control Board. The public hearing is expected by the month-end, said an official.
The Airports Authority of India has given aviation clearance for setting up the power plant. Besides mines, wildlife and forest clearance papers have also been received.
The Bihar government had inked an MoU with Kolkata-based Nalanda Power Company, a unit of RPG group of companies, for setting up a 2000 (1000×2)-MW coal-based thermal power plant at Pirpainty in Bhagalpur district at an estimated cost of Rs 5,000 crore way back in 2008. They have already identified 600 acres of land at Manikpur village in Pirpainty for the first phase of plant which would have a capacity to generate 1,000 MW. Tata Consultancy had prepared its pre-feasibility report. The plant will get coal linkages through Rajmahal coal mines. The plant is scheduled to become operational by 2012.
Besides, authorities have identified a few places for setting up other such plants at Chausa (Buxar), Kajra (Lakhisarai) and Pirpainty (Bhagalpur). NTPC has expressed keen interest in setting up these greenfield power plants. NTPC CMD Arup Roy Chaudhury recently had a meeting with Bihar chief secretary Anup Mukherjee in this regard.
This was the fourth MoU signed by the Bihar government for setting up thermal power plants during the last five years. The first MoU was signed with a Kolkata-based private firm, Vikas Metal and Power Limited, for setting up a thermal power plant (250×2 MW) at Begusarai.
Another MoU was signed with a Nagpur-based private firm, Jas Infrastructure Capital Private Limited, for setting up a 1215-MW thermal power plant at Prabhavati Nagar in Banka district.
Read more: Yet another power project MoU – The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Yet-another-power-project-MoU/articleshow/7031714.cms#ixzz175JMcSOr