NTPC awaiting clearance from UP govt for 4,000 Mw project

LUCKNOW: The power sector PSU giant NTPC is awaiting approval of the Mayawati government to set up a 4,000 MW ultra mega power plant in Barghad area of Banda district. The project which would see an investment of about 20-24,000 crores had been mooted about six months back but remains in a limbo as land and water clearances from the state government are yet to materialise.

Executive Director (North) NTPC, IB Pandey said that they were still hopeful of getting the clearances soon, but ruled out setting the project as a joint venture with the state government.

The Barghad project was proposed to NTPC after it lost out on the Lalitpur project.

Initially, the state government had proposed to set up a 4,000 MW power project in Lalitpur for which talks with NTPC had progressed to an advanced stage. But with NTPC ruling out a joint venture with the state government in Lalitpur, the project was scaled down to 1980 MW and awarded to Bajaj Hindustan under the MoU route.

About six months back another proposal to set up a 4,000 MW project in Barghad was mooted to NTPC, which showed interest. "If the land and water clearances come from the state government we are still keen on the Barghad project" said Mr Pandey.

However according to sources, with the state government looking for a joint venture in the project and NTPC ruling it out, due to the company’s internal policy, things may not progress from the drawing board stage.

Mr Pandey however said that work on the 1320 MW Meja project would now pick up pace with bulk tenders for the first phase being invited for boilers and turbine. The tenders for the first phase of 660 MW are set to be awarded by June and from then on the plant will take another 44 months to be commissioned.