Italian engineering major Ansaldo Energia has won the EPC contract for the Rs 800 crore naphtha-based power project at Samalkot in Andhra Pradesh, promoted by the Mumbai-based electric utility BSES. "We have selected Ansaldo of Italy as the EPC contractor for the 220 mw Samalkot thermal project. Ansaldo will work in tandem with BSES's own EPC group," BSES officials told PTI. They said BSES would forward the letter of intent (LoI) for awarding the contract to Ansaldo this week. Other contenders for the contract included Lenzis of Italy and Bhel. The EPC contract would work out to around 70 per cent of the total project cost.

Cabinet approves revised cost for 16mw thermal power project

The Union government on Tueesday approved the revised cost of Rs 85.45 crore for the 16 mw gas-based thermal power project at Rokhia (Phase-II) in Tripura. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) also approved sharing of power generated by the project byTripura and Mizoram, an official spokesperson said. The two states will share the power from the 2X8 mw project equally. The spokesperson said the power situation in Tripura and Mizoram was expected to improve after the project was commissioned.

Assocham action plan for power reforms

The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) has prepared a ten-point action plan for reforms in the power sector which encourages investment, high product quality, fair pricing and creation of wealth, with open access to resources, capital and markets. `1The action plan for developing the power market by 2010', released by Assocham president K P Singh, said on Tuesday the present market is monopolistic in nature and characterised by poor quality, bad pricing and inadequate returns for the investor. The action plan states that while a totally free consumer-driven market should be the ultimate goal, there is immediate need for unbundling of SEBs for attracting private investments, formation ofcommercially balanced zones, open access to transmission and distribution networks, compensation for subsidised tariffs.

International airport proposed for Himachal Pradesh

An international airport is proposed to be set up in Himachal Pradesh and site selection process is in progress. Stating this, state chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal told the Phdcci that Indian Airlines would extent its flights to Gaggal airport soon in addition to its existing services to Shimla and Bhuntar airports.

BHPV bags Rs 13 crore order from IOC

Bharat Heavy Plates and Vessels (BHPV) has bagged a Rs 13 crore order from IOC, Haldia, for designing, fabricating, supplying and erecting a vaccum column for their vaccum distillation unit. The column, measuring 10.2 meters in diameter, 60 meters in length and weighing 560 metric tonnes, would be by far the biggest vaccum column made in the country. he column, to be fabricated in single piece, would be hydraulically tested and transported by inter mode transportationfrom Visakhapatnam Port to IOC in Haldia.

CSL bags order for passenger vessel

The Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) has bagged an order for construction of a 150 passenger-cum-25 tonne cargo vessel for the Lakshwadeep administration. This is the first passenger vessel to be built at CSL. The construction of the vessel was scheduled to be completed within a period of 18 months, according to CSL sources.

Iffco to up production

Iffco, the country's largest producer and marketeer of fertilisers, plans to produce two million tonnes of phosphatic and potassic fertilisers during 1999-2000 as against the budgeted production of 16 million tonnes. U S Awasthi, MD, Ifffco, said on Tuesday that the cooperative produced over 1.3 million tonnes of NPK/DAP during 1998-1999. During the same year, its contribution towards the nation's total production of phosphatic and potassic fertilisers was 17 per cent, a figure that was likely to increase to 20 per cent this year. Though sowing operations for the kharifseason are yet to commence, Iffco has already used 350,000 tonnes of DAP and other two grades of NPK fertilisers on the field, Awasthi added.