Noting that the Adani Power Dahej Ltd (APDL), a subsidiary of Adani Power, has failed to start actual construction of proposed 2,600 MW imported coal-based plant at Dahej in Gujarat even after getting clearance seven years ago, an expert panel of the Union Environment Ministry has put on hold the company’s request to give it further extension on environment clearance front.
The APDL had sought extending validity of environmental clearance dated 25 October 2011 for further period five years, i.e. till 25 October 2023.
However, the Expert Appraisal Committee (thermal power) headed by Navin Chandra in its meeting held in August 2018, decided to defer the approval after it noted that actual construction work of the power plant has not been started yet. In fact, the progress of the construction work in the last seven years has been bare minimum accounting to boundary wall, stores, Sewage Treatment Plant, transmission line and hostel.
When the project proponent claimed that the construction work has not been initiated so far in the absence of the power purchase agreement (PPA), the panel did not rule out further delay in work, saying it would be 48 months from the zero date.
A senior official in the Ministry explained that the validity of the green nod given in 2011 was for five years, i.e. till 2016. As the environment clearance (EC) is valid on the date of environment impact assessment (EIA) amendment notification dated September 14, 2016, the five years validity automatically becomes seven years. Accordingly, the EC is valid for seven years, i.e. till October 24, 2018.
As per the EIA Amendment Notification dated 14.9.2016, the validity can be extended by maximum period of three years. Thus, the outer limit of the validity of EC is 10 years. However, the project proponent has sought for extension of five years which becomes total validity of 12 years from the date of grant of EC, said the official. “Approval will be the violation of the regulations,” the official said.
The project has not achieved any significant progress in terms of construction activities of the BTG and BOP. The validity of seven years will expire on October 24, 2018. While as per the provisions of the EIA Notification, only three years can be extended beyond seven years whereas project proponent has sought extension of five years. Moreover, three years’ extension can be given only in cases where projects have achieved substantial physical progress so that the extension will enable them to complete balance works.
Deferring the proposal, the panel has asked the ADPL to submit a chart showing the timelines and completion of all the activities for commissioning the power plant within three years.