Karnataka plans energy generation worth Rs. 41,000cr

In a massive push to energy generation in the state, the Karnataka government has decided to set up power plants with a generation capacity of 8,000 MW involving an investment of Rs. 41,000 crore in the next four to five years.

According to reports trickling in from various sources, the government is setting up 1,320 MW thermal power plant in Gulbarga district and has already floated request for qualification (RFQ) for the project for which 23 companies including Mukesh Ambani led Reliance Industries have shown interest in the plant and has already pass out the RFQ stage. The plant in question involved an investment of Rs. 7,500 crore and it has already earned the distinction of being the first power project in the state to be awarded on the basis of competitive bidding. Apart from Mukesh Ambani, his brother Anil Ambani, Jindal Power, Tata Power, Adani Industries, GVK, GMR Sterlite Energy and Videocon are also in the race to bag the project.

Similarly the state government is also planning to set up a thermal power plant with similar generation capacity at Ghataprabha area of Belgaum district under competitive bidding.  Currently the government is acquiring land and also facing some problems on this score but is hopeful that the land for the project will be acquired very shortly.  The state, which is currently facing acute power shortage, is going all out to push the power generation capacity by about 20 per cent in the immediate future. In addition to this the government is also identifying locations for other power projects and an announcement to this effect would be made very shortly, they suggested.