CERC order on Mundra project likely by December-end: Tata Power

Tata Power, India's largest private power producer, has said an order by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) for granting compensatory tariff for the company's Mundra project is likely to come up by the end of this month.

 

"CERC has finished the hearings and Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) and has just submitted their affidavit about few days back on November 26 and now they have given time for us to file an affidavit to give our rejoinder on that affidavit," Tata Power managing director Anil Sardana told a private news channel on Wednesday.

 

"After that perhaps they will take another two-three weeks. So, I am hoping that by end of December we could hope for the order."

 

Electricity regulator CERC, in April this year, allowed the private utility to raise power tariffs from its 4,000-MW Mundra ultra mega power project in Gujarat, to compensate for an unexpected increase in coal cost.

 

Coastal Gujarat Power Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Power, had petitioned CERC seeking relief on account of adverse impact of the unforeseen, uncontrollable and unprecedented escalation in the imported coal price.

 

The commission had asked the power procuring states of Mundra to form panel and decide on the quantum of compensation.

 

The panel, which was headed by HDFC Bank chairman Deepak Parekh, in its report, said the company should be allowed an increase of 45-55 paise tariff in its Mundra plant.

 

Mundra UMPP supplies power to 5 states, namely Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab.