CESC, the flagship company of the RP-Sanjiv Goenka group, on Tuesday, announced its plans to invest Rs.10,500 crore for setting up a 3x660 MW thermal power project at Balagarh in Hooghly district.
Addressing a press conference, CESC Vice-Chairman Sanjiv Goenka said that the implementation of the project would hinge on getting coal linkage, for which it had sought the state government's assistance.
“We are excited about the project, which has been cleared by the board today [Tuesday],” he said adding that the Balagarh project could be readied within 36 months of getting the fuel linkage.
It may be mentioned that this project was ‘given' to the group in the Nineties by the previous government. However, its implementation had got held up on account of various factors. CESC has invested over Rs.100 crore in the project. On the Haldia project, now under implementation in Purba Medinipur, Mr. Goenka said work had begun and the first unit would be readied by March 2014, while the 600 MW unit Chandrapura unit in Maharashtra would be ready by March 2013. The group is also setting up renewable energy projects in Arunchal Pradesh and Gujarat.
