Reliance announces 3500 MW power plant for UP

New Delhi: Reliance Industries Ltd yesterday announced plans to set up the world's largest power plant in Uttar Pradesh, having a capacity of around 3500 mw.

"The project will produce power at a cost of around Rs 2 per unit and will operate on domestic natural gas produced from Reliance's gas fields in the Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin in Andhra Pradesh," Anil Ambani, vice-chairman, Reliance Industries Ltd, said at a press conference here.

The project, which will be completed in phases of 1000 to1500 mw each, will entail an investment of Rs 10,000 crore. The first phase will be completed within three years. The company is in the process of selecting a project site. Power produced from the project will serve Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and other northern states such as Rajasthan.

Ambani was confident of the capacity addition notwithstanding the current financial issues plaguing the power sector. The power sector consists largely of state-owned monopoly buyers (state electricity boards) from the generation companies, which are virtually bankrupt owing to theft of power as well as subsidies.

According to Ambani, the project was viable on the back of the consumer base that Reliance has access to. BSES Ltd, a Reliance group company, serves power distribution zones in Delhi and Mumbai. Ambani was, however, confident that power sector reforms would take place.