AGARTALA, June 10 (TIWN): Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of NEEPCO PC Pankaj on Tuesday said that the corporation had agreed to sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) for upgradation of three power projects of the state. The Corporation would also sign joint venture agreements for all three projects.Speaking to reporters at the civil secretariat at Agartala this morning, CMD Pankaj said that MoU would be signed on June 21.

 A joint venture agreement between TSECL and NEEPCO for the three projects would be signed later this month. Both parties would share output in a 50-50 basis, the CMD said.

Asked about details of the agreements, Pankaj said that 35 MW additional power would be added to the current 63 MW capacity at Rukhia thermal power plant, 25 MW would be added to 42 MW installed capacity of Baramura plant. The Dumbur hydel project would be upgraded from 7 MW to 16 MW.

The NEEPCO chief visited the ‘under-construction’ 104 MW thermal power project at Manarchak in Sonamura sub-division earlier on Monday as a part of his current visit in the state. Pankaj met Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and Power Minister Manik Dey on Tuesday.

An estimated financial involvement of Rs. 320 crores is expected to be incurred for the conversion work of all three projects, the official added.

NEEPCO is currently contributing 1,130 MW power including thermal and hydroelectric power across all states of the NE region. A total of 927 MW installed capacity is currently under construction including 60 MW project in Mizoram, 5 MW solar power plant at Manarchak project site in Tripura, 600 MW plant at Kameing in Arunachal Pradesh, 52 MW extension project of the Agartala Gas Turbine Project (AGTP) etc.

“We are expecting to generate 2,000 MW by March, 2016”, the NEEPCO chief said. He added that the Corporation is eyeing to sign Joint Venture Agreements with the NHPC for a 4,000 MW project in Orissa with 26 percent partnership and a 6,000 MW project in Arunachal Pradesh.