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Power generation to be 90k MW for 12th Plan

Planning Commission and power ministry are believed to have reached a consensus over fixing the capacity addition target at 90,000 MW for the next five years.

Earlier, the power ministry had proposed a target of adding 76,000 MW in the current 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17), keeping fuel constraints in mind.

On the other hand the Planning Commission wanted the target to be 1,00,000 MW, as the power demand is very high.

'It is likely (target) to be at 90,000 MW, both sides have agreed, it would be finalised soon,' a power ministry official said.

India added nearly 55,000 MW of power during the 11th Plan period ended in March 2012, much lower than the revised target of 62,000 MW. Initially, the additional power generation capacity was projected at 78,577 MW.

Power ministry had earlier this year said it would not be able to meet its target for the 11th Plan due to environmental issues and coal and gas shortages.

Power projects being executed by state-owned hydro-power generation company NHPC, which were scheduled for commissioning during the current Plan, would now start electricity generation in the 12th Plan.

NHPC's 2,000-MW Subansiri project in Assam and 3,000-MW Dibang project in Arunachal Pradesh are still awaiting environment clearances.

Thermal projects are expected to account for more than 50,000 MW of capacity addition during 2012-17.

NTPC has also said it may fall short of its target of becoming a 75,000 MW company by 2017.

The company has said that if the current coal crisis prolongs for a couple of more months, it may not be able to add 12,500 MW of thermal power to its installed capacity during the current XIIth plan period.
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