Bihar to get 5k MW by 2015
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Patna: Bihar is likely to get 5000MW power by 2015 end. Currently, the demand has gone up to 2300MW in the state. The state government has reiterated its commitment to make the state self-sufficient in power within the next two years.
By March 2014, the state would start getting an additional 330MW power from one unit (stage-II) of NTPC’s Barh thermal power station.
According to official sources, to improve power scenario in the state, electricity poles, wires and transformers are in the process of being replaced with new ones in 71 towns.
Sources said super grids would be installed at Lakhisarai, Gaya, Banka and Darbhanga which would help the state in getting power from any grid in the country. “We are moving from zero to self-sufficiency in spite of the fact that the state is facing odds on availability of coal from the Centre,” said an official.
The state government has set a power availability target of 5,300MW by 2015. This includes the current central allocation of 1,800MW. “The state government hopes that the NTPC’s Barh unit will be ready by 2015, from where the state has been allocated 1,200MW. Apart from this, the state’s own power generation units at Muzaffarpur and Barauni would also be ready by then. We expect 800MW from these units,” an official said.
“The state government has also signed long-term power purchase agreements with various private players, which would give us another 1,000MW. We are also buying 200MW from Adani Power. We are getting 100MW from DVC. Then, there are several other projects which will help along the way. We are confident that we will be self-sufficient in power by 2015,” said a senior official of the Bihar State Power Holding Company Limited (BSPHCL).”
He also claimed that Bihar will be a power surplus state by the year 2020. “Our promises are for 2015, but we are aiming beyond that. We want to have power generation of 16,000-17,000MW by 2020,” said an official. “The Nabinagar project, a joint venture between Bihar government and NTPC, is on track,” he said.
The Union government has also given its nod for setting up an Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP) at Kakwara in Banka district, from which Bihar will get its share of 2,000MW in another five years.
The state government has already signed an MoU with PowerGrid to set up a joint venture for revamping, strengthening and augmenting the transmission network.
Courtesy: TNN
