Panel to consider environment issues for key power projects

A newly constituted experts’ committee under the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) would consider proposals of terms of reference and environment clearance for power projects with generation of over 38.932 Mw.

These projects, ranging from 6 Mw of captive power to 4,000 Mw of mega power, will require an investment of Rs 1,55,730 crore.

The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) will meet during July 7-9. It is headed by V P Raja, also the chairman of the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission.
The meeting coincides with attacks on MoEF from various ministries like roads and highways, commerce, coal and civil aviation for delaying environment and forest clearances, and blocking several infrastructure projects.

“The Expert Appraisal Committee’s approval is a must to take off power projects and various industrial, coal, mining, infrastructure projects. The committee is taking up projects from state, central and private sector utilities. Some of them are captive and renewable projects,” ministry sources told Business Standard.

The committee would also take up projects of some utilities to reconsider terms of reference earlier cleared by it or for amending these.

The consideration of projects with a total generation capacity of 38,932.6 Mw is crucial when the Centre has proposed a capacity addition of 80,000 Mw in the Twelfth Five-Year Plan (2012-17). During the current (11th) plan, against the target of 78,700 Mw, the Centre expects a capacity addition of 62,000 Mw.

Among the projects being considered by EAC are 4,000-Mw coal-based project by Universal Crescent in Gujarat; a 2,000-Mw coal-fired project by Ptiana Power in Maharashtra; a 1,600-Mw thermal-based project by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board in Tamil Nadu; and a 1,500-Mw coal-fired project by Ptiana Power in Maharashtra.

State-run NTPC’s four projects of 1,320 Mw each — to be developed in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh — have also figured in the EAC list. The country’s largest generator, with an installed capacity of over 30,000 Mw, has proposed capacity addition of 22,000 Mw during the current plan and about 30,000 Mw in the next.

Further, the EAC list includes a 6-Mw gas-based captive power project by Maruti Suzuki in Haryana; a 6.9-Mw gas-based captive power project by Asahi Fibres in Gujarat; and a 7.2-Mw gas-based captive power by Raymond in Gujarat.