Kolkata, Apr 17: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said she will lay the foundation stone for a 1,600 MW super/ultra-supercritical thermal power plant at Salboni in Paschim Medinipur district on April 21 to be developed by JSW Energy Ltd.
The Rs 16,000 crore project, comprising two units of 800 MW each, was awarded to JSW Energy through a competitive bidding process conducted by the West Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd (WBPDCL). The greenfield thermal power plant is scheduled for commissioning within five years.
JSW Energy had, in the past, announced the signing of a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (WBSEDCL) for the entire 1,600 MW capacity. The plant will be fueled by domestic linkage coal allocated to West Bengal under the Centre’s SHAKTI B (iv) policy.
Banerjee also said that on April 22, a 112 MW solar power project, being set up with 80 per cent financial support from a German agency will be inaugurated. The project, with an investment of over Rs 770 crore, is part of West Bengal’s expanding renewable energy initiatives.
“With the increase in number of consumers and industrial units, power demand is surging in the state. Our government is building capacity to ensure uninterrupted supply,” Banerjee said.
The chief minister said that supercritical thermal power projects at Durgapur Projects Ltd (DPL) and Bakreshwar—each of 660 MW—are at the bidding stage, while a proposal for a 2×800 MW thermal project at Sagardighi is also under consideration.
She blamed the earlier Left Front regime for prolonged power outages and load shedding.
“There was a time when the state faced hours of darkness. We have changed that scenario through sustained investment and planning,” she said.
In addition to conventional and solar projects, the state is also exploring a 1,000 MW pumped storage power plant to boost energy storage and grid stability.
Earlier, West Bengal Power Minister Aroop Biswas had said that since the Trinamool Congress came to power in 2011, the state government has invested around Rs 27,000 crore in the power sector to strengthen generation, transmission, and distribution. (PTI)
