National Thermal Power Corporation is all set to become a 30,000 MW company this year after the commissioning of its 500 MW plant at Kahalgaon in Bihar in November.
"We are hoping that the installed power generation capacity of the company would reach 30,000 MW mark by the end of this year once the 500 MW unit of Kahalgaon project is commissioned," R S Sharma CMD NTPC told PTI.
Asked about the plans during the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-2012), which has been pegged at adding 22,000 MW power generation capacity, Sharma said all the projects were on track and running as per schedule.
The company, which plans to focus on hydro power generation, would produce its first unit of electricity next year, he said, adding the company has set a target to add 7,000 MW of electricity to its total capacity only through hydro by the end of 2012.
On the thermal side, although the company has ambitious targets but the ongoing tussle with the domestic coal companies, especially Coal India Limited, over the shortage of coal may upset NTPC's plans.
The total coal requirement of the company in the current financial year (2008-09) is 125 million tons, out of which it plans to import eight million tons to bridge the shortfall.
In fact, NTPC has sought Power Ministry's intervention to resolve the coal shortage crisis. At an average, the company is facing a shortfall of 10-12 million tons of coal a year.
Asked whether the coal imports could solve the problem of shortage, Sharma said, "Though we are importing eight million tons of coal this year but imported coal is expensive due to which cost escalations are transferred to the consumers, which we do not want."
In its letter to the power ministry, R S Sharma wrote that many of its plants are facing threats of closure which may lead to power crisis in the country, and asked the authority to take fast track measures.
NTPC has already lost Rs 94 crore (Rs 940 million) in the current fiscal due to low generation at various plants, including Rihand, Vindhyachal, Farakka, Kahalgaon and Talher following short supply of coal.
The company took up the matter at all levels of ministry of coal, sub group for infrastructure constraints (under MoC), Coal India Limited and its subsidiaries, but coal supplies have not improved.
The company also plans to enter into nuclear and renewable segments of power generation.
It plans to adopt supercritical technology in order to reduce coal consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
NTPC would commission country's first 660 MW supercritical unit in March 2009 and has also identified sites for manufacturing 800 MW supercritical units to be commissioned by 2017.