Reliance Power speeds up Sasan plan
The power arm of Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (R-ADAG) — Reliance Power (RPL) — has accelerated the implementation of its 4,000 mw Sasan ultra mega power project (UMPP). It now plans to commission at least two units of the mega project within the Eleventh Plan period (by 2012). The new target would mean the completion schedule of initial units of 660 mw each would be compressed to less than 55 months. Reliance Power had earlier agreed to commission the first unit in 69 months from the date of signing the power purchase agreement in August 2007.
The changes in the commissioning programme has been made at the behest of the power ministry that wants a portion of UMPP power generation to be commissioned within Eleventh Plan to offset any slippage on generation target of 78,577 mw. “UMPP is an ambitious programme of the government. If we are able to put up some UMPP capacity within Eleventh Plan, it could trigger a fresh wave of investment in the power sector,” an official source said, adding that RPL has indicated that two units of Sasan may be operationalised before April 2012.
It is expected that the government may seek similar commitments from other two UMPP projects at Mundra and Krishnapatnam. Already a joint monitoring committee of the power ministry is evaluating all the UMPP projects to enable its fast commissioning
