Aug 7 2010
TATA Power Company, a leading private power utility company from India, is shortlisted by the Indonesian government along with another company for developing a 200 MW geothermal plant with an investment of around Rs. 3000 crore.
The TATA group has bid for the project in Sumatra, in syndicate with Origin Energy an Australian gas and electricity retailer, and PT Supraco Energy and Indonesian company along with other eight bidders from all over the world. This clean energy project attracted bidding even from companies such as PT Medco Energi International and Chevron.
S Ramakrishnan, Executive Director Finance in TATA Power, declined to talk much on the project as it is still in the threshold. He noted that his company is currently exploring vistas, in non-coal based properties such as gas fired developments, in addition to venturing into renewable energy projects such as geothermal, in Australia and Indonesia. He also mentioned that while TATA Power will try to explore opportunities, the company is planning to manage the operations through its subsidiary company or a separate entity created for the purpose. For exclusive handling of renewable energy projects in Australia, and other places in the region, TATA Power has started a company named OTP Geothermal in Singapore.
At its local front in India TATA Power, has already started surveying for breaks in non conventional energy sector. The company has plans to raise its wind generation capacity from the present 200 MW to 500 MW, its solar capability to 50 MW and its geothermal production to 5 MW by the year 2011. The company is planning to increase its total power producing capacity from all sources from the current 3000 MW to 8300 MW by the year 2012.