Relinquished coal plants may be allowed to sell power

09 Dec 2020 Editorial Team

The power ministry proposes to allow coal-fired power plants to sell after finishing their agreements with their buyers. This is despite the national promise to close old plants to control pollution. The Ministry said that the draft proposal, if approved, will help in generating additional revenue and increase liquidity in power markets and distribution companies in states facing a power shortage to access cheaper power.

The letters sent to the power departments of the country's states and utilities such as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) have said that the tariff of electricity must be as low as possible for customer interest.

The Ministry said the move would help government-run generators to sell power in any mode once the company upon completion of the tenure exits the agreement.

Previously, Power Minister RK Singh and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman planned on shutting down old coal-fired power plants. An official has mentioned cost-effective utilities that are known to provide cheap power, will be allowed to operate, whereas inefficient plants would be shut down.

After the plants complete 25 years, distribution companies operating in Punjab, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha want to surrender power allocated by federal government-run utilities, said the power ministry.

The availability of excess power and high cost of electricity were the reasons cited by the states to surrender power under the agreements.

The power ministry compiled a list in 2019 that shows that the distribution companies wanted to surrender power generated from utilities with a capacity of 5.75 GW.

Image source

Real Estate

05 Sep 2025

Vitizen Hotels Signs Deal at Manyata Tech Park

Vikram Kamats Hospitality, as part of its ongoing expansion in key metropolitan markets, announced that its material subsidiary, Vitizen Hotels, has signed a long-term lease agreement for a 45-key hotel property at Manyata Tech Park, Bengaluru.Strategically located in the city’s prominent IT hub, the property is well-positioned to serve corporate travelers, business professionals, and long-stay guests. The addition aligns with the company’s asset-light growth model, leveraging long-term leases to expand its footprint in high-demand urban markets.The hotel is expected to strengthen the comp..

CONCOR Signs MoU with BPIPL to Operate Container Terminal at Bhavnagar Port

Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bhavnagar Port Infrastructure (BPIPL) on September 4, 2025, in New Delhi to operate and maintain the upcoming container terminal at the northside of Bhavnagar Port, Gujarat.BPIPL had earlier entered into an agreement with the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) in September 2024 for the port’s development. Under this arrangement, 235 hectares of land has been leased to BPIPL for 30 years, with provision for expansion by an additional 250 hectares.The new terminal is expected to significantly enhance logistic..

Concord Launches India’s First Indigenous Zero-Emission Rail Propulsion

Concord Control Systems (CCSL), a leader in embedded electronics and critical rail technologies, has announced the development of India’s first fully indigenous zero-emission propulsion system, marking a significant step toward the country’s railway electrification and net-zero goals for 2030.Powered by Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries and featuring a DC chopper-based drive, the propulsion system eliminates idling losses common in diesel engines, offering higher efficiency, lower costs, and zero emissions.What sets this innovation apart is its completely indigenous design. Except for..