Haldia Energy, a CESC Group company, has placed a 1,000- crore order on Shanghai Electric Group of China (SEC) for its 3x200-mw coal-fired power plant in West Bengal. This follows a similar order placed on SEC by another CESC Group company Dhariwal Infrastructure for a like-capacity project in Maharashtra.

The Haldia project is scheduled to commission by 2014. Coal linkages have been secured and construction work has begun in full swing. The project is coming up on a 420-acre land expanse at Baneswar Chak near Haldia.

The Maharashtra coal-fired plant of 2x300-mw capacity is coming up at Chandrapur. CESC Group acquired controlling stake in Dhariwal Infrastructure in August 2009. This project too has entered the construction phase. Around 450 acres of land and coal linkages from South Eastern Coalfields Ltd is in possession.

Both these projects are part of the group's overall plans to ramp up power generation from 1,250 mw at present to around 7,000 mw in the next six years, with a total capital outlay of 30,000 crore.

Apart from executing the two BTG contracts, CESC and SEC have reportedly reached a broader and longterm strategic agreement where the two would co-operate in setting up coal-based power plants in India.

Mfg base in India

In a very significant development, Shanghai Electric Group of China (SEC) has planned to set up a manufacturing facility in India, according to the company's vice president Zhu Denian. SEC might scout for a local partner but would begin by opening its local office registered at Gurgaon in Haryana. SEC is supplying BTG equipment to around 14 power projects all over the country and a local manufacturing facility might help the Chinese company improve its presence.