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India's
Emerging
Power Hub
& Capital
Korba in Full Swing
Chief Minister Singh's Government is fully aware As in the Green Revolution of the past, which
that power is the crucial input for industrial growth concentrated on Punjab and Haryana, the new 'Power
and has proceeded to implement policies to boost Revolution' may focus on cheap pithead power
electricity generation in the State. With a massive producing states like Chhattisgarh, which has the
power generation complex at Korba, Chhattisgarh potential to produce up to 50,000 MW of power.
today is a power-surplus State attracting power- Towards making Chattisgarh the power hub of India,
intensive industries besides supplying power to NTPC has already started construction on its 2640 MW
Delhi, Gujarat and Karnataka, among others. Sipat Super Thermal Plant and another 600 MW plant in
Situated in the middle of the country, Chhattisgarh Korba. In response to the State's invitation, the
is poised to be India's Power Hub and Capital in the Government of Gujarat is putting up a 500 MW
near future, enabling it to transmit power to each generation plant in Korba. Several other States are also
and every part of the nation.
interested. Power will be wheeled to the respective States.
Private sector MoUs total another 1500 MW, and more
Strategically located in central India, Chhattisgarh's
projects are in the pipeline.
large surplus of power can be easily transmitted without
losses to any of India's four grids. Chhattisgarh is in the Chhattisgarh has excellent power evacuation
chronically deficit western grid, and is linked to the infrastructure. It can transport and sell power to deficit
southern and northern grids. A special high-tension line areas in any part of India. CSEB levies minimal wheeling
is being laid between Raipur and Rourkela, in the Eastern charges. The State has 44 percent forest cover; even so,
grid. With its 'Power Hub' strategy, the State will remain Chhattisgarh Environment Protection Board pursues
power surplus for all times to come. Hence it would be proactive policies so that power generation is
the preferred destination for all power intensive environmentally sustainable. An added reason for
industries.
investing in Chhattisgarh's power generation sector is the
State's progressive power policy that allows third party
Korba in Chhattisgarh is really the Power Capital of
sales to buyers outside its territory, with or without
India. NTPC's Super Thermal Power Plant in Korba is
wheeling from CSEB. This also overcomes the usual
working at 90 percent Plant Load Factor (PLF), and the
escrow/guarantee bottleneck
plants of the Chhattisgarh State Electricity Board (CSEB)
are also highly efficient. There are huge coal reserves in CSEB is one of few profit-making State Electricity Boards.
the vicinity, offering cheap pithead power generation Power Sector Reforms are underway in Chhattisgarh. The
opportunities and there is enough water from the State's user-pays regime has been adopted. There is no free
largest reservoir of Hasdeo Bango. As much as 84 power in the State. Subsidies, where applicable, are
percent of India's coal is in Chhattisgarh and two other targeted. The process of Tariff rationalization is on. A
states. There are adequate coal supplies- South Eastern hundred percent Electronic Metering project has been
Coalfields Ltd, Bilaspur is doubling its production from started
35 million tonnes to 70 million tonnes per annum.
- INDO US BUSINESS SPECIAL ISSUE
39