The 2,640-mw thermal power project in Gidderbaha is facing hurdles due to non-allocation of required coal linkages. It has forced the Punjab government to extend the date for submission of request for qualifications (RFQ) for the fourth time for setting up the project.
According to official sources in Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) a meeting with the coal ministry for coal linkages has been postponed to July16. The decision in this regard was taken on Wednesday in a meeting held by the management of Gidderbaha Power Ltd, the special purpose vehicle incorporated by the PSEB for the project.
Initially, the last date for submission of RFQ was December 19, 2008, which was extended to January 19, 2009. Later, it was again extended to February 16 as the board wanted more companies to participate in the bidding process. Now, the final date for submission has been fixed for April 16. The only companies who have submitted RFQ for the project till now are Reliance Power, Larsen and Toubro, Adani Infrastructure and GMR Energy.
The bidders will be selected through tariff-based international competitive bidding. The process consists of two stages, first containing the qualification (request for qualification) requirements of the bidders and the second stage will be request for proposal stage. The project will be developed on 2,432 acre with the total investment of Rs 13,000 crore.
Besides Gidderbaha, the government has awarded three more thermal projects at Rajpura (1,200 mw), Talwandi Sabo (2,000 mw), and Goindwal Sahib (540 mw). While Lanco Infratech is developing the Rajpura project, Mumbai-based Sterlite Energy Ltd has been awarded the Talwandi Sabo project. Also, GVK is setting up the Goindwal Sahib plant.