Jhajhar thermal plant not expected before Common Wealth games
Punjab Newsline Network
Monday, 25 January 2010

By VINOD KUMAR GUPTA
CHANDIGARH: The prestigious 1500 MW (3X500MW) Indira Gandhi Super Thermal Power Project being set up in Jhajhar in Haryana is not likely to be commissioned before the start of Common Wealth games.

According to sources the issue of new projects coming in next two years was discussed in the 15th. Meeting of Northern Regional Power Committee (NRPC) held at Chandigarh on December 24 last. As per minutes of meeting released last week the first unit of this prestigious project would be synchronized in November this year after the completion of common wealth games. The second and third unit of this project will come in December 10 and January 2011.

Last year NTPC had accused BHEL of delaying the main turbine assemblies and other balance equipment for first unit. NTPC had told the concerned authorities that In case the supply of equipment by BHEL is not completed before the end of 2009 it would not be possible to meet the scheduled target of commissioning
As per original schedule first 500 MW unit of project is due for commissioning in April 2010. The other two units are to follow after a gap of three months each. All the three units are supposed to be commissioned by October 10 well before the start of commonwealth games.

Jhajhar thermal plant is a joint venture of NTPC, Delhi and Haryana costing about 7892 crore and since commencement of construction, an expenditure of about Rs 3,277 crore has been incurred on the project A Joint Venture Agreement was signed on December 14 2006 among NTPC Ltd, Indrapastha Power Generation Company Ltd. (IPGCL) and Haryana Power Generation Company Ltd. (HPGCL).The Company was Incorporated on December 21, 2006.

The equity participation by Haryana in the project is 25 percent and while its energy share is 750 MW. NTPC is having 50 percent equity share and while Delhi has 25 percent.

Government had sanctioned the 1500 MW thermal project in Haryana to cater to the needs of power for common wealth games to be held in Delhi in October this year. Haryana will get 250 MW from each of three units of project.

It may be mentioned that in a recent review of the project by senior officers of Government of India it was hoped that NTPC will work hard to bring at least one unit by end of July so that the commercial run with full load could be possible before the start of games.