The proposed waste-to-energy plant at Brahmapuram will be put to crucial public scrutiny on Friday.
A public hearing, a mandatory procedure for the statutory clearance of the project, on the plant will be held at Asir Bhavan at 11 a.m. on Friday.
Though the day is dedicated for deliberating on the tariff of power produced from the plant, questions on the all aspects of the plant including the feasibility of the technology and other technical aspects are expected to crop up at the session. Incidentally, several questions were raised about the technology to be used in the plant and the cost of power production by various civil society groups and organisations. Some of the LDF councillors in the Kochi Corporation had openly opposed the plant stating that the technology proposed by the company for the Brahmapuram plant was not tried anywhere and could drive the corporation to debt trap though the CPI(M)-led State government was all in support for the project.
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Incidentally, the company officials had sought an appointment with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on the eve of the crucial public hearing.
The members of the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission will be present at the session. The delegation of the company will be led by its Managing Director Giby George. Representatives of various departments of the company and officials of the Kochi Corporation will be present
The company will have to defend its case by justifying the tariff of ₹15 per unit for the first 250 units of power produced at the plant. The tariff was fixed at ₹15 as per the construction agreement entered into between the State government and the company.
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If the power tariff fixed by the Commission will be less than ₹15 per unit, the Kochi Corporation, the State government and the Suchitwa Mission will have to raise the balance amount, the viability gap fund. The local body has already received ₹25 crore from Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited. Going by the profit-sharing agreement entered into between the company and the State, 80% of the value of power generated in excess of the 250 units will go to the company and 20% to the local body.