India may miss power capacity addition target

“It is unlikely that we can add 62,000 MW during the 11th Plan period (2007-12), we can only achieve up to 55,000 MW,” a power ministry official said.

This is mainly due to cancellation of some coal blocks for power projects on environmental grounds, he said, adding delay in equipment supply is also another issue which would hamper generation capacity addition target of the country.

In the 10th Plan period (2002-07), the government had envisaged an additional power capacity of 41,110 MW. It ended the Plan with a capacity addition of only 20,950 MW, 49 per cent short of the target. The government had cited delays in technology alliances, lack of funds and natural calamities such as floods as reasons.

“About 42-43 coal blocks allotted to private power companies have been cancelled by the Environment Ministry.

This would result in delay and therefore meeting this Plan period’s (2007-12) target,” the official said. The Ministry of Environment and Forests has cancelled about 43 coal blocks allotted to companies as they were part of the green belt.

Power Ministry Sushilkumar Shinde has, however, maintained that around 74,000 MW of generation capacity can be added during the current Plan period.

“With best efforts, we would add about 12,000-13,000 MW power generation capacity over the likely addition of 62,000 MW in the current Five-Year

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