Karnataka hopes for brighter days

The state government yesterday signed three Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for 1,008 MWs, including a path-breaking 'waste-to-energy' project

The state government yesterday signed three Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for 1,008 MWs, including a path-breaking 'waste-to-energy' project.

The agreements with NTPC, Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd (NLC) and Srinivasa Gayithri Resource Recovery Ltd were inked in the presence of Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and Minister for Energy Shobha Karandlaje and senior officials.

NTPC is setting up a 4,000 MWs regional mega coal-based thermal power plant at Pudimadakka in Andhra Pradesh's Vishakapatnam district, in which Karnataka's share is 600 MWs.

Let there be light: Karnataka has a 400 MWs share in the 1,980 MWs coal-based thermal power project, to be set up by NLC in Tamil Nadu. REPRESENTATION PIC

Karnataka has a 400 MWs share in the 1,980 MWs coal-based thermal power project, to be set up by NLC at Sirkali in Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu.

"The state is likely to get power from these units in about four years," Yeddyurappa said at the signing ceremony. On the 'waste-to-energy' power project at Manduru village in Bangalore East Taluk, he said this is the first and only plant (8 MW)u00a0-- being set up by Srinivasa Gayithri Resource Recoveryu00a0-- in the entire country to be given subsidy by the Union Ministry of Renewable Energy.

"If this plant is successful, the government would actively encourage setting up more such plants which would effectively handle and dispose municipal solid waste in an environment-friendly and sustainable manner," Yeddyurappa said. Officials said the cost of the waste-to-power project is Rs 80 crore.

Srinivasa Gayithri Resource Recovery has entered into an agreement with the BBMP to implement the project under which the company would receive 1,000 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste per day. Yeddyurappa said that in the past two years, the government has added 2,660 MWs of generation to the state power grid.