Idle power plants in India to get World Bank loan

Washington: The World Bank approved a $180 million loan for renovation and modernisation of old, polluting and inefficient coal-fired power plants in India. The project is co-financed with a $45.4 million grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

The loan wil be used for mordernising 200-220 Mw capacity each of coal-fired power plants at Bandel (West Bengal), Koradi (Maharashtra), and Panipat (Haryana).

The financial package is designated under the first phase of India's National Renovation and Modernization Program for rehabilitating old and inefficient power plants with a cumulative capacity of 27,000 Mw.

The project will also support efforts to control particulate emission, and improve water treatment and ash disposal at the plants, leading to better environment conditions for people living in the vicinity.