SCCL, RVUNL sign MoU for setting up 3,100 MW thermal, solar power plants in Rajasthan

Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) expands into solar and thermal power plants in Rajasthan joint venture.

HYDERABAD

As part of its business expansion in diversified fields, the Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL), as part of the Telangana government’s joint venture with the Rajasthan government, has decided to establish 1,500-megawatt capacity solar power plants and another 1,600 MW thermal plant in Rajasthan.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) to the effect was signed at Jaipur on Monday in the presence of Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Telangana Deputy Chief Minister M. Bhatti Vikramarka, who handles the portfolio of energy too, and Minister for Energy (Rajasthan) Hira Lal Nagar. Principal Secretary (Energy) Sandeep Kumar Sultania, Chairman and Managing Director of TG-Transco D. Krishna Bhaskar also accompanied the Deputy CM.

The MoU was signed by CMD of SCCL N. Balaram and Director (E&M, Personnel) D. Satyanarayana Rao on behalf of SCCL and Additional Chief Secretary (Energy) of Rajasthan Alok on behalf of the Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd (RVUNL). The SCCL would have a stake of 74%, including investments and profits in the joint venture, and 24% by RVUNL.

Mr. Vikramarka said on the occasion that it was for the first the 136-year-old State Public Sector Undertaking (SCCL) had formed a joint venture with the power utility of another State. The joint venture would be a big step forward in the Singareni’s business expansion plans. Telangana with huge coal reserves and Rajasthan with vast scope for solar power generation had made a reputation of their own in the two areas.

He stated that the joint venture company would also play a key role in meeting the energy demands of Telangana and Rajasthan. Singareni was the only coal production company in the South with experience in thermal and solar power generation too. The RVUNL would select the site for solar and thermal plants and hand it over to SCCL to take up work on the new plants.

Singareni, in addition to coal production, has a 1,200 MW capacity thermal power plant and solar power generation capacity of 245.5 MW with the aim to take it to 450 MW by 2026. Further, he stated that Singareni would start coal mining in the Naini Block in Odisha by the month-end and has planned another 1,600 MW thermal power plant there too.