Srikakulam Thermal Power Station
{{#badges: CoalSwarm|Navbar-Indiacoal}} Srikakulam Thermal Power Station is a proposed 4,000-megawatt (MW) coal plant in Andhra Pradesh, India.
Contents
Location
The map below shows Polaki mandel, Srikakulam district, the approximate location where the plant will be built.
Background
Srikakulam Thermal Power Station was originally proposed as a 2,400 MW coal plant by Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation (APGENCO) for the district of Srikakulam.[1]
In December 2014 it was reported that APGENCO had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Japan-based Sumitomo Corporation for a 4,000 MW coal plant in Srikakulam. Sumitomo will reportedly share technology for the proposed power plant, prepare a Detailed Project Report, and arrange funding from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Investment in the project is estimated to be around Rs.200 billion.[2]
According to Andhra Nation, the location of the plant will be the village of Polaki.[3]
In August 2015, it was reported that the government of Andhra Pradesh told Sumitomo that the company would be limited to 1,650 acres of land, rather than the 3,000 acres that the company had sought. The government argued that the amount of land needed to store coal could be limited by bringing coal by conveyer belt, due to the project's seaside location. By limiting the acreage of the plant, the government reported was seeking to minimize the amount of land that would need to be acquired from local farmers.[4]
On April 12, 2017, AP Energy minister Kimida Kala Venkata Rao stated that Thermal Power Plants (TPP) are not viable in the state as it has sufficient power, and the government planned to put on hold all the proposed TPPs.[5]
On April 29, 2017, the AP State government said the decision to set up the 4,000 MW plant was deferred until the year 2022.[6]
Opposition
Villagers in Thotada, Rallapalli, and Susaram have opposed the plant on the basis that the government does not actually possess the 1,300 acres that it claims to have available for the project. CPI and CPI(M) leaders say that the land must remain in the status of cultivation under the Land Acquisition Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act-2014. “We don’t agree with the argument of the Government. The left parties will continue to extend their cooperation to this agitation. We will not allow acquisition of fertile lands,” said CPI(M) Srikakulam secretary Bhaviri Krishnamurthy.[4] In July 2016 it was reported that difficulties with acquiring land in Polaki were "causing embarrassment" to officials. After initially believing it owned the 1,300 of the acres needed for the project, it turned out that the land had been under occupation for many decades. Left parties and representatives of farmers' associations accused the government of trying to intimidate opponents of the plant by deploying a heavy police presence. CPI Srikakulam officials vowed to support the opponents of the plant and demanded that cases filed against local leaders be withdrawn. “The government is trying to convert Srikakulam into a dumping yard by proposing thermal and atomic power plants. Such activities will only lead to displacement of thousands of people,” said CPI Srikakulam wing secretary Chapara Venkata Ramana.[7]
Project Details
Sponsor: Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation (APGENCO), Sumitomo Corporation
Location: Polaki mandal, Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh
Coordinates: 18.3667, 84.1 (approximate)
Status: Cancelled (decision on whether to build the plant deferred to 2022)
Nameplate capacity: 4,000 MW (Units 1-4: 1,000 MW)
Type: Ultra-supercritical
Projected in service:
Coal: 13 million tonnes per annual Nuagoan and Telisahi coal blocks in Angul[1]
Estimated annual CO2:
Source of financing: Japan International Cooperation Agency
Articles and resources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Future Projects," APGENCO website, accessed February 2012
- ↑ "New projects worth Rs.240 bln announced in power sector in November 2014," CMIE, Dec 8, 2014
- ↑ "Sumitomo decides to set up its 4000 MW thermal power plant at Polaki in Srikakulam district," Andhra Nation, Mar 10, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 K. Srinivasa Rao, "Government decides to minimise land acquisition for 1600 acres for Sumitomo project," The Hindu, August 21, 2015
- ↑ "Thermal power stations not viable now in AP: Kimida Kala Venkata Rao," Hans India, Apr 12, 2017
- ↑ V. Raghavendra, "State drops thermal project plan at Polaki," The Hindu, Apr 29, 2017
- ↑ "Govt. owns 1,300 acres, but farmers have been enjoying possession for long," World TV News, July 1, 2016
Related SourceWatch articles
