Uttar Pradesh clears seven new thermal power plants

LUCKNOW - The Uttar Pradesh cabinet Tuesday gave its nod for setting up seven new thermal power plants to bring an additional 4,500 MW of power in the energy-starved state, an official said.

The new plants would entail an investment of more than Rs.25,000 crore.

Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation chairman Navneet Sehgal said: “Each of these plants are coming up in the private sector and would be set up through the MOU (memorandum of understanding) route.”

“Under the arrangement, the state would provide land and water for setting up and running the plant,” he said.

And once the entrepreneurs sign an MOU with the state government, the plants would be in place within the next four years, the official added.

Five of the proposed plants are to be set up by Hindustan Bajaj Ltd. With a capacity of 90 MW, these are to come up in Pilibhit, Lakhimpur-Kheri, Shahjahanpur, Gonda and Utraula.

Besides, Bajaj Hindustan was also given clearance to set up a 1,980 MW plant in Lalitpur, while Lanco Infratech received the nod to set up a 1,320 MW thermal power station in Fatehpur.