Cochin Port Trust has entrusted NTPC
Electric Supply Co (NESCL), a subsidiary of NTPC, to carry out a feasibility
study and prepare a detailed project report for providing electric supply
arrangements to the port based SEZ at Vallarpadam and Puthuvypeen.
The port has considered various
options like setting up a captive power plant on BOT basis; entrusting the
supply of power to Kerala State Electricity Board as part of providing power
supply to the PBSEZ area for various projects coming up in the area. It had also
explored other alternatives in association with other competent agencies.
Regarding the option of captive power plant, it is felt that the cost of power
will be too high and the co-developers also preferred to have KSEB supply, which
will be cheaper compared to the captive power plant.
However, the KSEB informed that the
approximate cost for bringing power supply to the SEZ's at 110 kV will be to the
tune of Rs.110 crore. Besides, they projected a land requirement of 3 acres at
Vallarpadam, 4 acres at Puthuvypeen and 15 cents at Chathiath.
Considering the financial constraints
and huge investments, the co-developers of the SEZ project such as DP World,
BPCL-KRL and Petronet LNG were also reluctant to share the cost of power supply.
Hence, it was decided to carry out a detailed feasibility study in this regard
by entrusting the work to NESCL.
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