Adani to expand capacity of Udupi power plant by 1600 MW

Hyderabad: After acquiring Udupi Power Corporation Ltd from Lanco Infratech in April, Adani Group is now set to expand the plant's capacity by 1600 MW, which is estimated to cost over Rs 9,000 crore.

According to a notification by the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the UPC - now a subsidiary of Adani Power Ltd - sought permission to expand the existing 1200 MW imported coal-based Thermal Power project to 2800 MW by addition of 1600 MW (2X800 MW super-critical units in Phase-2).

According to an industry expert, the expansion may cost approximately Rs 6 crore (including land cost) per mega watt amounting to nearly Rs 9,600 crore.

"The expansion of the main plant is proposed partly within the existing plant area and partly in the additional land adjacent to the boundary of existing plant," the EAC said.

While recommending the Terms of Reference (ToR), subject to the outcome of pending litigations any, for the expansion, EAC said the issue of Public Hearing exemption, the Committee recommended that the same shall be in compliance to the final Order of National Green Tribunal and the Ministry may take a decision at an appropriate time.

EAC asked the company to furnish "an updated status of all court cases on the existing project and the proposed expansion and the detailed response of the PP on the environmental issues raised in the litigations".

In April, Adani Power said it has completed the acquisition of Lanco Infratech's Udupi Power plant for Rs 6,300 crore, one of the largest takeovers in the country's thermal power space.

Earlier, the ToR for expansion by addition of 2x660 MW was granted by MoEF in August 2010, Lanco could not take it up due to financial and other reasons, the EAC said.