Power Ministry seeks cabinet approval for UMPPs bid document

The Power Ministry has said that it will seek cabinet approval for revised bidding documents for Ultra Mega Power Projects (UMPPs), paving the way for auctioning three plants entailing an investment of over Rs 80,000 crore by March-end.

Commenting on the issue, Power Minister Piyush Goel told the media, "We shall shortly be putting to the Cabinet, a draft bid document for UMPP (domestic coal-based) duly revised taking into account all the concerns of all stakeholders."

"It will take some time to finalise the bid document for imported coal-based UMPPs. The discussion on it is on," he added.

As per reports, the investment for a UMPP of 4,000 MW has been revised from Rs 20,000 crore to about Rs 27,000 crore recently on the basis of rise in prices of coal and land. Thus, the auction of three UMPPs will entail an investment of over Rs 80,000 crore.

As per reports, once approved by the Cabinet, the auction for domestic coal-based UMPPs will be conducted. The government has planned to auction three UMPPs by March-end.