UP govt approves two thermal power projects worth Rs 18,000 crore in Sonbhadra's Obra

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday approved two 'Obra D' thermal power projects of 800 MW each to be built at the cost of Rs 18,000 crore in Sonbhadra's Obra, a move aimed at providing cheaper electricity to the people of state. The 'Obra D' thermal power plants were approved in the Cabinet meeting presided by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanah, an official statement issued here said. The projects will be executed by the government with a 50:50 partnership with central government-owned power generator NTPC.

While 30 per cent equity will be given for the implementation of the projects, the rest 70 per cent of the amount will be arranged from financial institutions, the statement said. The 'Obra D' thermal power plants will be the first ever ultra super critical unit in the state. The plant will boast of state-of-the-art technology and high efficiency, with low consumption of coal, bringing down the cost of power generation, which will lead to slashing of electricity rates in UP, it said.

The first unit will be ready in about 50 months, it said.Quoting Urban Development and Energy Minister A K Sharma, the release said, «During the Global Investors Summit, we had signed an agreement with NTPC to set up a thermal plant at Obra. Today, the project has been approved by the Council of Ministers. This plant will be built on about 500 acres of land and if further land is needed, arrangements will be made for that too.» The energy minister also said that UP's current capacity in terms of thermal power generation stands at 7,000 MW and the two plants will contribute almost 25 per cent of the existing capacity.