NTPC plans wind power plant in Maharashtra- has inked a power purchase agreement with MSEDCL

State-run power generation giant NTPCis setting up its first wind power plant in Maharashtra and has inked a power purchase agreement (PPA) of 39 MW with MSEDCL. The PPA has been recently given the green signal by Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC). 

NTPC is setting up three wind power projects in the country – 75 MW at Chakala (Nandurbar district, Maharashtra), 75 MW at Madurgudda and 100 MW at Guledagudda, both Karnataka. The Maharashtra project is slated to come up in 2012 end or beginning of 2013 and NTPC has already floated tenders for it. The PPA does not state the precise tariff but it will be as per Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) rates for wind energy. NTPC had signed a PPA with power distribution companies in Karnataka at Rs 5.30 per unit. CERC has mandated a 6 % renewable energy purchase obligation (RPO) in 2011 which will increase 1% each year to 15% by 2020. A number of states including Maharashtra have fallen behind in meeting their RPO target and would need to either generate or buy green energy to meet CERC targets. Meanwhile, state-power generation company Mahagenco has awarded the contract of constructing a 125 MW solar power plant at Sakri (district Dhule) to Lanco and Megha Engineering. Lanco will build a 75 MW crystalline based solar photovoltaic plant and Megha Engineering will set up a 50 MW thin film solar plant. Mahagenco had made a foray into solar power by setting up 1 MW project at Chandrapur, the first in the state. The price for a unit of electricity for the 1MW plant was set at Rs 15 per unit with the state government contributing Rs 3 per unit and the remaining funded by Indian Renewable Energy Development Authority (IREDA). The utility has also started building a 4 MW solar plant at Chandrapur.