Videocon plans Rs.30,000 crore 6000 MW power foray

GANDHINAGAR - The Videocon group has an ambitious plan to set up four thermal power generating units with a combined capacity of 6,000 MW at four locations around the country with a total investment of Rs.30,000 crore, company chairman Venugopal Dhoot said Sunday.

With its Rs.5,000-crore 1,200 MW thermal power generating facility coming up at Pipavav in Gujarat’s Saurashtra region and expected to go operational in the next 30 months, the company is exploring the possibility of putting up another 1,200 MW facility at the same location, he said.

Dhoot said the company also plans to set up a 1,200 MW capacity thermal plant in Chhattisgarh, another of the same capacity at Asansol in West Bengal and a third one at a location in Maharashtra.

“The process for acquiring land for the Chhattisgarh project has been initiated and the coal linkages have been worked out. The Asansol project is, however, going slow,” he added.

Dhoot said that Videocon had purchased coal mines in Indonesia with 200 million tonnes reserve to meet the fuel needs of the Pipavav project.

“We will go in for more, if needed. The power plant is near the coast, land has already been acquired for the expansion project, finances have been tied up and a power purchase agreement with the Tatas is in place,” he added.