Plan To Set Up 10 MW Thermal Power Plant-Lucknow-Cities

The Times Of India 21 Feb 2009

LUCKNOW: After inviting private concerns to set up coal fired thermal power plants, the UP Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) is toying with the idea of setting up a solar thermal power plant in the state. The 10 MW plant, to be set up by a private company, is likely to come up in Unnao district.

Additional managing director, Narendra Bhooshan, in a letter sent to Aswani Kumar, director, ministry of non-conventional energy sources, government of India, on February 19 said that UPPCL has agreed in principal for installation of a 10 MW plant subject to terms set by UP State ElectricityRegulatory Commission (UPSERC).

According to the letter, M/s Power Cube Pvt Limited has indicated their interest in setting up a 10 MW plant in Unnao and have submitted their application for processing and finalising the power purchase agreement accordingly.

This would be the first such plant in the state once the UPSERC gives its nod to the power purchase conditions put forth by UPPCL. The commission had scrutinised the conditions on February 11. A final decision is yet to be taken on that regard.

The plant would work on the principle of conversion of sunlight into heat to boil water and turn a turbine to generate the electricity.

Chairman-cum-managing director, UPPCL, Navneet Sehgal said that the corporation is committed to encouraging the non-conventional sources ofenergy in the state. The corporation, had earlier asked the sugar mills owners to focus on energy production through bio-fuel. The mills, he said, would be given incentives and the problems faced by the mills would be solved.

UPPCL sources said that the power produced in the plant would be purchased directly by the corporation for being put into the northern grid. Small though, setting up of such a plant may herald a new era in the power production in the state which has largely restricted itself on conventional and exhaustible energy sources.