Karnataka’s power self-sufficiency depends on coal blocks: Shobha Karandlaje

MANGALORE: Karnataka can achieve self-sufficiency in power generation by the end of 2014, making it the second state in India to do so after Gujarat. This, however, can be achieved with a little help and push from the Union government that has to allot coal blocks for the proposed thermal power projects that Karnataka is taking up within the state and in Chhattisgarh state, said minister for power Shobha Karandlaje here on Thursday.
Laying the foundation stone for the corporate office of Mangalore Electricity Power Supply Company, Shobha said Chhattisgarh government has acquired 1,300 acres of land for the project and the state government has paid Rs 280 crore as compensation to the evacuees. “Chhattisgarh government has also given dedicated water supply,” she said, adding that the progress of the project depends on Centre allocating dedicated coal linkage.
Civil works on the 2,400MW supercritical thermal power plants at Yeramaras and Bellary thermal power plants are under progress and work on the other 2,400MW supercritical thermal power plant planned at Yedlapur will be taken up shortly, she said.
Once the centre gives dedicated coal blocks, requisite clearances from Union ministry of environment and forests will follow and this has been the major hitch in their progress so far, she said.
The state government, which has added 4,500MW of power in the last 4-1/2 years, is looking forward to go ahead with the foundation stone laying ceremony of gas-fired power project at Bidadi near Bangalore by the end of this month. Pointing fingers at the Centre for its reluctance to supply LNG for this project, Shobha said the government is determined to purchase gas in the international open market if the need so arises and go ahead with the project.
Observing that Karnataka witnessed a 24% growth in demand for power in a one-year period from July 2011 to June 2012, she said the national average for the same period was 12%-13%.
This is mainly due to the increase in number of domestic connections, IP sets and industrial users, she said, adding that the challenge was to meet this demand while ensuring quality power supply to all stakeholders and also coming down hard on instances of power thefts.