800 MW Koldam project commissioning extended to April 2014

Shimla, Dec 14 (PTI) NTPC has extended the date of commissioning of the 800-MW Koldam project being executed by the power generator in Mandi and Bilaspur district of Himachal to April 2014, an official of the project said. The execution of the Rs 5,640 crore project with capacity to generate 3,054 million units annually was started in 2003 and it was slated for commissioning in six years by end of 2009. However, the completion was delayed and the date of commissioning was extended to December 2012 but the management failed to meet the new deadline and has fixed April 2014 for starting power generation. General manager of the project Anup Kumar Nanda, who reviewed the progress of the project, has admitted that the project had been delayed by nearly five years and attributed the delay to inclement weather and other geological hurdles Nanda said Rs 4,092 crore would be spent till January 31, 2013 and all works would be completed by April 2014 and the project would be fully commissioned by the new deadline. "The construction of the Dam with height of 636 feet has almost been complete, grouting is almost at the end stage and by March 15, 2013... We are fully confident that full impounding would be started in October 2013," he said. This was the first hydropower project being executed by NTPC in the state and Himachal would get 12 per cent free power as royalty, 15 per cent at bus bar tariff and 2.75 per cent as the grid distribution share from the 800 MW project. PTI PCL DKR