Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel on Thursday laid foundation stone of the 800 MW super critical thermal power plant at Wanakbori in Kheda district.
The Rs4,500 crore power plant is 8th such power generating unit of the State-run Gujarat State Electricity Corporation limited (GSECl) at Wanakbori power station in Central Gujarat. GSECl has given the contract on EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) basis to Bharat Heavy Electrical limited (BHEl). Talking at the foundation stone laying ceremony, the Gujarat CM said that the project to be developed with state-of-the-art technology would be completed by the year, 2018-19.
Taking a potshot at Opposition Congress party, Patel said that if the previous UPA Government at the Centre would have given environment clearance to the project in 2009, she might have come at Wanakbori to inaugurate the project.
“Within few months the Narendra Modi Government granted the permission and hence, I am here to lay foundation stone for the important project which would meet the needs of electricity of rural areas of Gujarat,” she said while appreciating the Prime Minister for also granting permission to raise the height of Gujarat’s lifeline Sardar Sarovar Dam.
According to her if we need progress in the field of industry, technology and agriculture, abandon supply of power to run machines is a pre-requisite.
The quantum of power supply in a State defines the State’s ability to support industrial, agricultural and technological progress, she added.
Gujarat’s minister for Energy and Finance Saurabh Patel said that at present Gujarat is having power generation capacity of 24000 MW against the state’s requirement of 14000 MW. “The State Government is increasing power generation capacity in view of electricity requirement in next five years. We are also promoting non-conventional power generating capacity by encouraging wind and solar power generation,” said the minister.
Giving detail on Wanakbori power station, Patel said that each of the existing power generating units at Wanakbori is 210 MW, but the state government’s futuristic approach brought the eighth power plant with almost four times capacity. The upcoming power plant will have very less fuel consumption and it would burn 25 per cent less coal and as result of it there would lesser cost of electricity generation, he added.