₹9.26 lakh crore investment expected in power generation projects till 2021-22.

The Ministry of Power estimates ₹9.26 lakh crore of investments to go into generation projects by the end of the 13th Plan Period of 2021-22.

This investment will also be backed up with a more immediate ₹78,603 crore of investments in transmission projects which will come by the end of 2016-17.

The projections were given by PK Pujari, Secretary, Ministry of Power, at the India Investment Summit 2016.

'The investments in transmission projects are a certainty. One might question how many investors are keen on setting up a power plant today. But by 2019-20 or 2020-21, there will be need for additional capacity for which investments will need to start two years prior to that. Therefore, for power generation our projections are till 2021-22,' Pujari said.

Of the total ₹9.26 lakh crore of investments in power generation, ₹1.9 lakh crore is for thermal projects that are already under construction. New capacity addition of 26,400 MW will see investments of ₹1,84,000 crore, nuclear power capacity addition of 18,000 MW is expected to see investment of ₹2,70,000 crore, retrofitting of old plants has an investment opportunity of ₹70,000 crore and six ultra mega power projects is expected to bring ₹1,80,000 crore.

On ultra mega power projects, Pujari said three such projects will be auctioned in March. 'Bidding will definitely start for three projects in March. One would be Bedabahal in Odisha, Banka in Bihar and Cheyyur in Tamil Nadu,' he added.

HBL