NEW DELHI, May 5 - Assam may often reel under dreaded load shedding but on paper the power scenario looks good with the State boosting of eight functional power plants generating 1202.2 MW of electricity.
The operational power plants in Assam includes Ranganadi Hydro Power Project (406 MW), coal-based Bongaigaon Thermal Power Project (250 MW), natural gas-based Kathalguri Power Project (291 MW), Kopili Hydro Power Project (225 MW), multi-fuel Chandrapur Power Project (60 MW), gas-based Lakwa Gas Turbine (157.2 MW) and Namrup Project (116 MW) and Karbi Langpi Hydro Power Project (100 MW), among others.
That apart, Unit- II of the Bongaigaon Thermal Power Project, with a capacity of 250 MW, is under construction. The project is scheduled to be commissioned in April 2017, Union Minister of State for Power Piyush Goyal said in a Lok Sabha reply.
The 70 MW Namrup Gas Turbine is also under construction, but has missed the deadline of commissioning of the project in September 2011. It is now scheduled to be completed in September 2016, said Goyal.
Significantly, Goyal also mentioned that among the project that is scheduled to be commissioned in 2020-2021 is the controversial 2000 MW Subansiri (Lower) Hydro Power Project.
Meanwhile, the Central Electricity Authority has identified power potential of the North Eastern Region at 58,356 MW. Arunachal Pradesh has the highest potential of 50,064 MW, while Assam�s hydro power potential is pegged at 650 MW. Arunachal Pradesh is followed by Meghalaya and Manipur with the power potential of 2,298 MW and 1,761 MW respectively.
Meanwhile, in a separate reply, the Minister of Power said that bilateral inter-governmental agreement for implementation of the 720 MW Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Power in Bhutan is currently under way with a 70:30 loan-grant funding by the Government of India.
Under the agreement, surplus power from the project, that is, the power over and above required for use in Bhutan, shall be sold to India.
The Mangdechhu HEP is among the agreed hydro power projects between India and Bhutan, which include three inter-governmental projects totalling 2840 MW, as well as four joint venture hydro projects totalling 2120 MW, he informed.
