Madhya Pradesh to Invest $523 Million to Renovate Thermal Power Plants in 2010-11

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The state government of Madhya Pradesh, in central India, has drawn up plans to renovate and upgrade its aging thermal power generation plants with an investment of $523 million during the next financial year, which is from April 2010 to March 2011.

The government is refurbishing and upgrading two units of 120 megawatts (MW) each at the Amarkantak thermal power plant of state power generating utility Madhya Pradesh Power Generating Company Limited (MPPGCL) (Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh), in Chachai. The power station comprises five units: Stage I comprises Unit I of 30 MW and Unit II of 20 MW, both commissioned in 1965; and Stage II comprises Units III and IV, of 120 MW each, commissioned in 1977 and 1978, respectively. Under an extension program for Stage II, a fifth unit with a capacity of 210 MW was developed at the facility and synchronized in June 2008. Plans also are under way for the development of a sixth unit, with a capacity of 250 MW. The total cost of upgrading the two 120-MW units is estimated to be $26.5 million, of which more than $21 million is being provided by Power Finance Corporation Limited (BSE:532810) (New Delhi).

Plans also are under way for renovation and upgrade of power generating units at MPPGCL's 1,142.5-MW Satpura thermal power station at Sarni. The power station consists of nine units in total: units I to V, with a power generating capacity of 62.5 MW each, with the first unit commissioned in 1967, followed by the second, third and fourth units commissioned in 1968, and the fifth unit commissioned in 1970. Unit VI, with a capacity of 200 MW, was commissioned in 1979. These six units are reportedly undergoing renovations. The power plant also comprises units VII, VIII and IX, commissioned in 1980, 1983 and 1984, respectively, with power generating capacities of 210 MW each. MPPGCL is also planning to develop two additional units, units X and XI, with a generating capacity of 250 MW each at the power plant.

MPPGCL's 1,340-MW Sanjay Gandhi thermal power station at Birsinghpur is also likely to be renovated. The power plant comprises four units of 210 MW each, and a fifth unit of 500 MW. Units I and II were commissioned in 1993 and 1994, respectively. Units III and IV were commissioned in 1999, and Unit V was commissioned in 2007. The first four units, of 210 MW each, will be renovated.

Recent reports indicate that installed power generation capacity in Madhya Pradesh more than doubled from 2,990 MW in 2003, to 6,137 MW by the end of 2009. Thermal power generation capacity increased from 2,147.5 MW to 2,857.5 MW, while maximum power demand in the state grew from 4,652 MW to 7,019 MW during this period.

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