Kerala to take up 500 MW power projects

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala State Electricity Minister, Mr A.K. Balan, has said that various projects envisaging an incremental 500 MW capacity would be taken up by the State Government before its term runs out.

Mr Balan said that projects to generate 80 MW have already been completed. Work on the Kuttiyadi additional extension project for generating 100 MW will be completed in May. Over the period of the next 10 years, the generation target was being fixed as 4,000 MW.

The State Government has inked power purchase agreement with the Centre for 696 MW. A project for Rs 1500 crore has been worked out to bring down transmission loss from 21 per cent to 15 per cent by 2011.

The State Government is planning to liberally grant permission to industrial units for captive power generation. Global tenders will be floated for the Cheemeni mega thermal plant which would have an installed capacity of 2,400 MW.