Short-lived glory

As the pace of power generation heats up, the race to be king is likely to be ongoing, with players overtaking each other within short periods. With the synchronisation of a 600 MW unit at Lanco Anpara Power last month, reaching a total power generation capacity of 3,292 MW, Lanco Infratech has finally replaced Tata Power as the largest independent power producer in the country. Tata Power has an installed capacity of 2,977 MW at present.

But the Lanco leadership will not last forever, and will be beaten by the traditional rival. Tata Power was the first to have won a contract to build a 4,000 MW ultra mega power plant (UMPP). Its first unit of 800 MW at Mundra, Gujarat, is likely to be operational by September this year, helping it regain ground lost to Lanco Infratech.

Lanco's unit at Anpara in Uttar Pradesh was one of the first projects to be allotted on competitive bidding basis under the Electricity Act 2003. The coal-based unit's total capacity is 1,200 MW (2×600). The Uttar Pradesh government has tied up the project's coal and water linkages. It has also put in place a 765 kV transmission line for power evacuation and power purchase agreement with distribution companies promoted by the Uttar Pradesh State Electricity Board.

Additionally, Lanco, in consortium with US-based Massey Energy, was the lowest bidder in the Mahatamil power project. The 1,980 MW project located in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, includes the development of a coal mine which has reserves to the tune of 650 mt.

While Tata Power has been in the power sector for the last nine decades, Lanco Infratech has achieved the feat in a short span of five years.

L Madhusudhan Rao, Executive Chairman, says the company is targeting an installed generation capacity of 15,000 MW by 2015.

Lanco had been shortlisted by Infrastructure Today last year for its performance in the power and other infrastructure sectors in its annual Infrastructure Today Awards.