GUWAHATI, July 15 � Though the Government has decided to revive the Chandrapur Thermal Power Station (CTPS) by converting the project into a coal based power station, the delay in receiving the coal linkage delayed the implementation of the project. Meanwhile, the clearance from the Environment and Forest Ministry is yet to be received for the 750 MW coal based power project being implemented by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) in Bongaigaon.
Power Minister Pradyut Bordoloi, responding to a Zero Hour motion by Membor Gogoi (Cong) told the State
Assembly today that the Bongaigaon Thermal Power Station (BTPS) and CTPS were closed down in 1998 and 1999 respectively. He said that the CTPS was closed down after the price of petroleum product LSHS was hiked sharply and the cost of production of one unit of power shot up to Rs 12. He said that in 2007, the Government decided to revive the unit by converting it to a coal based project. Though the engineers of the Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) initially said that it would not be possible to convert the unit, later the experts opined that conversion of the CTPS into a coal based project would be possible.
The Minister said that after two national biddings, the ASEB signed an agreement with Imperial Power to revive the unit in joint venture and necessary permission from the Central Electricity Authority for it has been received. However, the whole process has been delayed as the project is yet to receive necessary coal linkage. The State Government has already moved the Prime Minister in this regard, he added. Once the implementation of the project starts, it would be completed in 18 months and the power situation in Guwahati city would receive a major boost, said the Minister.
Meanwhile, Bordoloi said though the BTPS has been closed down, the NTPC has started on a major project in the same place. In the first phase, 750 MW of power would be generated and 500 MW would be added in the second phase. He said that the first phase is likely to be completed in June, 2012, but the project is yet to receive necessary clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
Earlier, raising the issue, Member Gogoi said that efforts should be made to revive the CTPS immediately to improve the power availability.
