Pvt power producers to invest Rs 91000 cr in 3 to 5 yrs: Stalin

CHENNAI: Private power producers will invest about Rs 91,000 crore in Tamil Nadu in the next three to five years to generate 18,140 MW, deputy Chief Minister M K Stalin said here on Sunday.

"Private power developers are putting up plants with a capacity of 18140 MW. These initiatives will bring investment of about Rs 91,000 crore in the next three to five years," he said at the All India Conference of Chairman of Central and State Electricity Regulatory Commissions here.

Stalin said the state government also planned to promote renewable energy due to limited coal resources.

"Keeping in view the limited coal resources and to promote clean energy, the Government has mandated for a major shift from coal fuel to renewable energy", he said adding the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission has imposed the Renewable Energy Purchase Obligations to focus on renewable energy for industry and a conducive tariff policy.

Stalin said Tamil nadu has a huge capacity of 5,400 MW of wind energy, with an additional potential of 5,530 MW and 80 MW of bagasse based co-generation plants.

He said the government has acceded to request of industry bodies like ASSOCHAM, FICCI and CII for uninterrupted power supply for those HT industrial consumers willing to pay reliability charges from November 1 2010. "This has enabled HT industries function without any power cut", he claimed.

Stalin, who also handles the Industries portfolio, said Tamil Nadu would soon add an additional 183 MW of bagasse based power, with an investment of Rs 1,126 crore.

"Further seven developers from Tamil Nadu have been shortlisted by Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency to establish solar power plants with a total capacity of seven MW", he added.