Private power utility DPSC Ltd
(formerly Disergarh Power
Supply Company Ltd) has
mandated Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd
to set up the greenfield 540-mw
Raghunathpur power project in West
Bengal. BHEL's order value is around
1,500 crore out of the total project
cost of
3,200 crore, it is learnt. The
DPSC coal-fired power plant is likely to
be executed over the next 36 months.
DPSC has received possession of 155
acre of a total 300 acre required for the
project and is in the process of
attaining financial closure for the
project. Financing will be done on a
debt-equity ratio of 70:30. DPSC has
already applied for coal linkage for the
Raghunathpur project.
It may be mentioned that Orbis
Power Venture Pvt Ltd is now the new
owner of DPSC Ltd. OPVPL is promoted
by SERI Infrastructure Finance Ltd and
India Power Corporation Ltd. DPSC Ltd
was originally owned by public sector
entities like Andrew Yule & Company,
Life Insurance Corporation of India,
United India Insurance Company; and
private coal companies like Katras
Jherriah Coal Company and Bengal
Coal Company.
DPSC has a licence area of 618 sq km
in the Asansol-Raniganj coal belt in the
state of West Bengal to supply power at
11kV only. It also has the licence to
supply power to minor loads at 3.3kV
and 550V.
DPSC has predominantly been a
power distribution company. Though it
also has two power generation plants-
Chinakuri (30 mw) and Dishergarh (12
mw)-they are used to provide survival
power requirement of Eastern
Coalfields Ltd and Bharat Coking Coal
Company Ltd, which operate flood
prone and gassy mines.