Enron's phase-II to be completed by Dec 2001

Private power producer Enron India said on Tuesday that the second phase of its Dabhol power plant in Maharashtra, to generate 1,404 mw, would be completed by the end of 2001.

"Of the second phase, 75 per cent of work is over. Three LNG tanks are already up and the plant should be ready by December 2001," Sanjay Bhatnagar, chief executive officer of Enron India, said.

The first phase of the plant was naphtha based with a capacity of 740 mw.

Speaking at the seminar on Challenges for Power Sector in New Delhi, Bhatnagar said that there was need to liberalise the sector from various regulations and central planning in order to meet the target of adding 100,000 mw of power by 2012.

There was need to liberalise not only the generation but also transmission and distribution areas, he said, adding that customers should be given a choice of buying power from different suppliers.

Asked whether Enron was planning to enter the transmission sector, Bhatnagar said: "We are ready to invest in all sectors, which are economically viable." Investments need to be made attractive, he added.

He said a mechanism must be worked out for providing 'risk adjusted rate of return' to invite huge investments in the sector.

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