Thaindian News

Shimla, July 23 (IANS) Mumbai-based ship building major ABG Shipyard Ltd has been allotted three hydroelectric projects in Himachal Pradesh after global bidding, an official said Thursday.
“The government has allotted three out of five major hydropower projects to ABG Shipyard Ltd of Mumbai. The bids for the projects were invited last year,” the official said.

The projects allotted to ABG Shipyard Ltd are the 126 MW Bardang, 102 MW Rashil and 104 MW Tandi, all located on the basin of Chenab river.

According to the official, two other projects - the 104 MW Lara Sumta and 60 MW Patam - have been allotted to Calcutta Electricity Company and Surya Pharmaceutical Company of Chandigarh, respectively.

“All these projects, with the combined generation capacity of 496 MW, are located in the tribal Lahaul and Spiti district. There were 13 bidders for these projects,” the official said.

However, no foreign company had bid for the projects.

Moserbaer, DCM Sriram Infrastructure and Jindal Steel and Power were among the companies that were allotted hydroelectric projects in December 2008.

Under the state’s amended power policy, the bidder who offers more free power to the state in addition to the fixed quota is allotted projects.

The fixed quota is 12 percent free power for the first 12 years, 18 percent for up to 30 years, and 30 percent for up to 40 years. After 40 years, the project will be handed over to the government.

The state government is encouraging local entrepreneurs to take up projects with 2-5 MW generation capacity. The government has allotted projects above 5 MW through open bidding.

Himachal Pradesh’s hydropower potential is 20,416 MW - about 25 percent of India’s total potential - out of which only 6,419 MW is being harnessed. Of this, 1,738 MW is generated by 15 projects run by the private sector.