DVC draws up Rs 50,000-cr expansion plan to double power capacity – EQ Mag Pro
Kolkata : Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) on Monday unveiled a growth roadmap to double its installed capacity of 6,900 MW at an investment of around Rs 50,000 crore over the next seven-eight years, with focus on renewables.
The company has firmed up plans to add around 3,700 MW of thermal capacity in brownfield expansions by 2030 with a capex of nearly Rs 30,000 crore, officials said.
“In line with Power Minister R K Singh’s vision, we have embarked on a major expansion of three brownfield projects, adding 3,700 MW in total by 2030. We also have renewable power projects in solar and pumped storage projects,” DVC Chairman Ram Naresh Singh told reporters.
“The solar and pumped storage projects would be executed through joint ventures, which would help DVC to reduce burden on its balance-sheet,” he said.
It is planning to add 660 MWx2 at Raghunathpur, 800 MW at Durgapur and 2×800 MW at Koderma, as part of the brownfield expansion.
DVC is also looking at adding 2,150 MW in solar and 2,100 MW through two pumped storage projects (1500 MW at Lagu Pahaar in Jharkhand and 600 MW in West Bengal’s Purulia district), which would entail investment of another Rs 20,000 crore, the officials said.
The non-thermal projects would be executed through joint ventures with state-owned companies like NTPC, SJVN and NHPC, the officials said.
DVC Member (Technical) N Raghu Ram said the company is actively considering generating green hydrogen, and is working on a 5-MW trial project in collaboration with the World Bank.
It is also creating electric vehicle charging infrastructure in a small way.
DVC Member (Finance) Arup Sarkar said as the investment is lined up over a period of seven-eight years, and given the cashflow, capex would not be a problem.
In 2021-22, DVC had earmarked a capex of Rs 2,753 crore, he said.
On recovery of dues from Jharkhand, he said “efforts are underway at the government level” to clear dues of around Rs 4,000 crore.
Meanwhile, a senior official said DVC will release irrigation water equivalent to about 70,000 acre feet between July 22 and July 30 to support farmers in sowing kharif paddy in the wake of deficient rainfall in some districts.
Source: PTI
