Reliance, Tata eyeing hydro projects in Himachal
By IANSTuesday, January 25, 2011
SHIMLA - Corporate giants like Reliance Power, Tata Power-SN Power joint venture, Larsen and Toubro (L&T), Essar Power, ABG Shipyard and GMR Infrastructure have shown keen interest in hydropower projects in Himachal Pradesh, official sources said here Tuesday.
Reliance Power alone has evinced interest in most of the hydro projects located mainly in Lahaul and Spiti and Kinnaur districts, said the sources.
“Till date, 63 bids have been received for the 18 projects for which global tenders were floated last year. Reliance Power has bid for 10 mega projects,” the sources told IANS.
However, Reliance Power is the only bidder for the 60 MW Patam project, to be constructed in the Miyar Valley in Lahaul and Spiti district.
The other mega projects included 236 MW Dugar, 300 MW Purthi, 130 MW Rasil, 104 MW Tandi, 94 MW Teling, and 81 MW Tinget projects.
GVK Power, Reliance Power, L&T and Tata Power-SN Power are in the race for getting Dugar and Purthi projects.
Reliance Power has also bid for 130 MW Rasil, 94 MW Teling, 81 MW Tinget, 60 MW Patam and 44 MW Shangling, all in Lahaul and Spiti, and 130 MW Sumte Kothang and 104 MW Lara Sumta, both in Kinnaur.
A senior engineer associated with the project allocation process said the projects that have the aggregate generation capacity of 1385.5 MW would be allotted in one or two months.
However, no foreign company had bid for the projects.
Under the state’s amended power policy, the bidder who offers more free power to the state in addition to the fixed quota are allotted projects. However, during the previous Congress government, the projects were allotted on the basis of highest upfront premium.
The fixed quota is 12 percent free power for the first 12 years, 18 percent up to 30 years, and 30 percent up to 40 years. After 40 years, the project will be handed over to the government.
The free power bidding is in addition to the fixed upfront premium of Rs.2 million (Rs.20 lakh) per megawatt.
Himachal Pradesh has abundant water resources with a power potential of about 23,000 MW. About 6,480 MW have been harnessed till now by the central and state governments, private players and joint venture companies.
