UPPCL seeks fresh global bids

Allahabad: The UP Power Corporation (UPPCL) today sought the state power regulator's permission to seek fresh global bids for two power project after rejecting Lanco Kundapalli offer.

The state power utility today appealed UP State Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPSERC) seeking re-bidding for the award of Bara and Karchana thermal power projects based in the Allahabad district.

Earlier, the power utility rejected Lanco's bid for the projects citing high tariff. The power regulator on May 16 issued notice to Lanco Anpara Power, against the increase in capacity of Anpara C from 2X500 to 2X600, against the regulatory approval for 1,000 mw. The Anpara C project was awarded to Lanco in September 2006 through a tariff-based bidding.

Lanco in April last had won both the coal-based power projects - Rs 9,000 crore 660X3 Bara and Rs 6,500 crore 660X2 Karchana projects - on levelised tariff-based international competitive bidding (ICB).

The other bidders in the fray included Reliance Energy, Essar Power, Crompton Greaves, Torrent, AES of the US and three others.

The Lanco's price of Rs 2.88 per unit for Bara and Rs 2.83 for Karchana was found to be the lowest. Accordingly, the bids evaluation committee recommended that both the projects be awarded to Lanco.