CM inaugurates two power units

BHUBANESWAR: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday inaugurated the 2 x 660 megawatt (MW) Unit-3 and 4 of the Ib Thermal Power Station (ITPS), Odisha Power Generation Corporation (OPGC) Limited, Banharpali, in Jharsuguda district.

With commissioning of these two units, power generation at the Banharpali station will increase to 1,740 MW that would help Odisha become a power surplus state.

The Rs 11,000-crore expansion plan of the two units started in February 2014.

“These two OPGC units shall make Odisha self-sufficient in meeting its electricity need and play a pivotal role in the overall development of the area. Today is a historic day in power generation,” said Naveen, while addressing the gathering.

Planned in November 1984, the first unit of 210 MW of ITPS was made operational in 1994 followed by the second unit of equal capacity in 1996. The power generated from these units is supplied to Gridco, the state-owned power utility.

Though OPGC was initially a state-owned company, the state government divested 49% of the equity to United States-based AES Corporation in 1999 as part of power sector reforms, official sources said.

According to sources, the OPGC has planned for expansion of Unit-5 and 6 though details are yet to be worked out. Odisha at present requires over 4,000 MW of power to meet its daily requirement that goes up to 4,500 MW during peak hours, said energy department sources.

The chief minister also flagged off commencement of mining activity from Manoharpur coal mine in Ib Valley through videoconferencing from Banharpali. Assuring the people to be displaced for the coal mining project, Naveen said the government is committed to their quality rehabilitation and resettlement.

Energy minister Sushant Singh, who was also present, said the state government will facilitate adequate budgetary allocation for many infrastructure development schemes to strengthen all arms of energy sector like generation, transmission and distribution.