Three power utilities ? L&T, Sterlite and Reliance Power ? filed requests for proposal (RFP) with the Power Finance Corporation (PFC) for the 4,000-mw Krishnapatnam ultra mega power project (UMPP) in Andhra Pradesh. Curiously, other qualified bidders, including Tata Power Company, NTPC, Essar,Torrent, AES, DS Construction and Sumitomo, have refrained from submitting RFP.
Sources at the PFC, which is the nodal agency for the implementation of UMPP, said RFPs would be opened on November 13 and it proposes to issue letter of intent to the successful bidder in December.
As reported by FE, PFC had deferred the RFP submission dates five times. The qualified bidders were supposed to submit their RFP on September 21 though it was postponed indefinitely. Earlier, qualified bidders were asked to make their submission on August 24. Originally, the submission of RFP was slated for March 9, which was deferred to April 11 and subsequently to May 25 and thereafter to August 24.
The ministry of environment and forests has already given its approval for the Krishnapatnam project. Besides, PFC has made a 100% payment towards land acquisition to the Andhra Pradesh government.