JSW Energy investing $8 billion in 8,000 MW

BANGALORE, INDIA - JSW Energy Limited (JSWEL) plans to invest more than $8 billion in power projects worth 8,000 megawatts (MW) across the country.

Aiming to exceed 11,000 MW of installed power generation capacity by 2015, JSWEL, which presently has a total installed capacity of 995 MW, is implementing several greenfield ventures in addition to capacity expansions at existing plants.

Projects in the pipeline include ventures totaling 3,200 MW in the state of Maharashtra, including a 1,200-MW power plant at Jaigarh, Ratnagiri. JSWEL is looking to add port facilities to this plant to develop the area into a prime business center.

West Bengal will house power projects of about 1,600 MW, while 1,320 MW of generation capacity will be added in the state of Chhattisgarh. In addition to these proposed capacity additions, JSWEL is working on a 600-MW expansion at its 260-MW Vijayanagar plant in Karnataka. Another 600-MW power plant, comprising two units of 300 MW each, is being built at Toranagallu in Bellary.

In Rajasthan, Raj West Power Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of JSWEL, is executing a $1.08 billion venture at Bhadresh in Barmer, where eight units of 135 MW each are proposed for development. Work on the first unit is under way. Power generated at Barmer will be primarily marketed to distribution companies in the state.

A $368.64 million, 260-MW hydropower plant on the River Chamba in Kutehar marks JSWEL's maiden venture in Himachal Pradesh.

About 2,790 MW of power generation capacity is under various stages of development, of which about 2,100 MW is expected to be available by the end of 2010. In addition to setting up power plants, JSWEL will focus on the transmission infrastructure required to offload energy from the source.

Aimed at addressing the short-term power demands of the country, JSWEL has proposed to sell about 55% of its power output on a commercial basis, while 45% has been earmarked for long-term supply via power purchase agreements (PPA). Once surplus power is available, PPAs are likely to receive a larger share of the output.

JSWEL is involved in power generation and transmission, in addition to power trading. The company is looking to foray into the power distribution segment as well, especially from its plants in Western India. The diversification will enable the company to service requirements across the segment in an integrated manner.