Green signal for Jindal's 2,400-MW Chhattisgarh unit

The Union Environment Ministry has restored the Terms of Reference (ToR) for Jindal Power's 2,400-MW project in Chhattisgarh. Jindal Power is a subsidiary of Jindal Steel and Power Ltd.

After awarding the initial clearance or ToR to the proposed Rs 13,000-crore project in Tamnar last year, the Ministry revoked it in June on the issue of land-use optimisation. Jindal Power said land for the entire expansion project had been optimised from 1041 ha to 456 ha (and not 62 ha mentioned by the Ministry of Environment and Forests while withdrawing the ToR). The expert committee recommended that the project may be appraised, based on its review of the matter, by following the original ToRs, an Environment Ministry communication said.

The proposed plant is besides the Rs 4,338-crore, 1000 MW plant already functioning at Tamnar in the same area.Jindal Power officials had represented to the committee that the project would come up on 456 hectares and that there was no change in the plant's location.

The company had detailed that for the 1000 MW plant, 614 ha was approved of which 360 ha was for the main plant. However, the company had managed to accommodate 4x250MW units commissioned in 2008 on 245 ha and the balance 115 ha was available.The main plant would now be set up on 115 ha. This was possible because it would be sharing most of the facilities with the existing 1000 MW plant, they said.

Jindal officials had also submitted that there was no change in location of the proposed 4x600 MW plant and only land-use optimisation was done, which was also a requirement of the TOR issued on March 31, 2009. Jindal Power said it has already placed orders with BHEL for equipment worth Rs 765 crore. Coal linkages have been approved for the first two units of the 2400 MW plant. The company plans to commission two units of 600 MW each of the proposed 2400 MW by March 2012.