APRIL 20238The largest power producer in India, NTPC Ltd., has lofty goals for producing a bigger proportion of renewable energy while also intending to increase the power generation capabilities of eight of its coal-based power plants by more than 10 gigawatts (GW). An investment of between Rs 35,000 and 40,000 crore will be needed for this.As stated by a person acquainted with the proposal, these brownfield expansions will take place at the power plants in Talcher (1,320 MW) and Darlipali (800 MW) in Odisha, Lara (1,600 MW) and Sipat (800 MW) in Chhattisgarh, Singrauli (1,600 MW) and Meja (1,320 MW) in Uttar Pradesh.Two other plants are being built at various phases at Patratu in Jharkhand and Ramagundam in Telangana. Another official stated that they would add 2,400 MW and 800 MW, respectively, but noted that certain projects could take 8­10 years to complete due to delays in obtaining the necessary permissions and concerns voiced by various social groups. The nation has made a goal to lower its GDP's carbon intensity and achieve net-zero CO2 emissions by 2070.According to some estimates, coal-fired power will be more expensive overall, including environmental expenses, than renewable energy. An extremely efficient coal-based thermal plant with a capacity of 1 MW costs around Rs. 4 crore, while the capex for an equivalent solar unit costs between Rs. 4-5 crore. ESR Group, a prominent provider of real estate services and investments with a focus on Asia Pacific, intends to invest more than 400 crore to build a 1 million square foot warehouse and logistics park in Gujarat's Sanand. The project aims to capitalise on demand being seen among suppliers of supplementary goods to electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers. The 38-acre property lot is the second investment in the state for the company, which is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange; the first was a 37-acre project in Jalisana. The new project is anticipated to be finished within the next three years, even though the infrastructure for the original project is ready. "Gujarat draws some of the highest levels of foreign direct investment into India and is currently developing into a hub for the manufacturing and assembling of EV batteries. For the region to grow industrially and increase its capability to produce electric vehicles, grade- A infrastructure must be available in a key place like Sanand, according to Abhijit Malkani, CEO of ESR India. The goal of the initiative is to provide a concentrated area where established and new EV manufacturing and support businesses may grow and gain access to Ahmedabad's growing ecosystem.The proposed project also has access to Kandla port, India's largest container port, and is well connected with Mundra, Dahej, Jafrabad, Pipavav, and Hazira ports, making it easier to import and export components. Additionally, it has access to the national and state highway networks as well as the international airports of Vadodara and Ahmedabad. Future infrastructure projects like the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) and the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) would improve connectivity in Sanand and lower logistics costs. TOP STORIESGUJARAT'S $400 MILLION LOGISTICS PARK IS BEING PLANNED BY ESR GROUPNTPC PLANS TO EXPAND ITS 10GW BROWNFIELD COAL PLANT
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