Tata Power acquires 26% in Bhutan hydro project

Mumbai: Tata Power on Monday said it has acquired 26% stake in 114 MW hydro-power project and will deliver the generated power at the India-Bhutan border. The company has bought 26% stake in the project, while Tata Power trading has negotiated to purchase all the power generated from the project, the private sector power utility said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange.
"Tata Power Trading will off-take power from the project for a period of 25 years and the power will be delivered at India-Bhutan border,' it added.

Most of the southern and western States, and even the normally surplus States in the north-east, are now going through a major power crisis. Power generation has suffered because of poor hydel storage, thanks to a truant monsoon. Compounding the problem, States that usually come to the help of large consumers in such a predicament have themselves run into difficulties in thermal generation on account of vagaries in coal supply. As a result, States like Maharahstra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala have to contend with a major shortage.

Iranians on Saturday were told to cut their electricity consumption by 10 per cent or face daily power cuts because of a severe drought and low production by hydroelectric power plants. Residents of the capital Tehran could face up to four hours of blackouts each day, officials said according to media reports. "If consumers do not cut down consumption by 10 per cent, we will have blackouts until the end of the summer,' Deputy Energy Minister Mohammad Ahmadian told Fars news agency.

Power secretary Anil Razdan feels the churning in the Indian energy sector holds out untold opportunity to the country's manufacturing industry.

Apropos a news item carried by a section of press, Munda Hydropower Project said the news item casts unjust and inappropriate aspersions on the concerted and sincere efforts of the sponsors towards developing of the MMDP. A mega hydropower project awarded for the first time not only in the history of Pakistan but in the world for development in the private sector under the Pakistan Policy for Power Projects Year 2002.