The government of Karnataka is lobbying the National Thermal Power Corp (NTPC) to become involved in the development of a new 1000 MW power plant in the state, either by building the Vijaynagar thermal plant itself, or by entering into a joint venture with the Karnataka Power Corp .
According to official sources Karnataka and NTPC will discuss the proposals. NTPC was already examining prospects for a 2000 MW LNG plant in the state, the basis of an earlier memorandum of understanding between the company and the Karnataka. Recent reports suggest that at present there is no suitable site.
Meanwhile the Nagarjuna Power Corp, a private sector company, has also approached the NTPC to try and persuade it to support a joint venture to construct a 1015 MW power plant at Mangalore in Karnataka. The plant would burn imported coal and would come on line by 2006. NTPC has indicated that this would have to form part of its 12th plan because investment under the 11th plan has already been decided. NTPC is planning to build 1455 MW under its 9th, 10th and 11th plans, including 13 coal-fired plants and seven combined cycle stations.
Separately NTPC has signed its sixteenth consecutive memorandum of understanding with the federal government covering its proposed generation during the 2002-2003 fiscal year. This involves generation targets and the maintenance of 85 per cent availability at its power stations. The memorandum also covers milestones in projects with a combined capacity of 4500 MW, targets related to ash utilisation, modernisation, and R & D.
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