Assam CM lays foundation stone for Rs 48,000-crore thermal power project
By Dalim Phukan
Guwahati, Sept. 20: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday laid the foundation stone for Adani Power Limited’s 3,200-MW ultra-supercritical thermal power project at Chapar in Dhubri district, described by the state government as Assam’s largest single industrial investment.
The project, estimated to cost around Rs 48,000 crore, is expected to augment Assam’s power-generation capacity and create about 25,000 jobs during construction and nearly 5,000 permanent jobs after becoming operational.
Sarma said Assam’s peak electricity demand had risen to around 3,026 MW, with consumption growing at nearly 10 per cent annually against the national average of about 6 per cent. The state currently generates only around 400 MW and meets the rest of its requirement through power purchases from other states.
If the current growth trend continues, Assam’s daily power requirement could reach around 5,500 MW by 2030, he said. The Chapar project would help reduce the state’s dependence on electricity purchased from outside.
Commercial generation is scheduled to begin in phases from December 2030. The first phase will generate 800 MW, followed by another 1,600 MW in 2031, with the project expected to reach its full 3,200-MW capacity by December 2032.
The Chief Minister said Assam would need two more projects of a similar scale by 2035 to meet rising demand. The government is also working on pumped-storage projects to store solar power generated during the day for use at night, besides planning power projects in Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao.
Sarma said reliable electricity was crucial for attracting industries and expressed confidence that the project would encourage further investment and ancillary industries around Chapar. The BTR administration has provided 700 bighas of land for such industries.
He said Assam had received investment proposals worth around Rs 5.18 lakh crore through the Advantage Assam 2.0 Summit last year, while the Adani Group’s proposed investment had risen from Rs 50,000 crore to around Rs 80,000 crore.
Sarma said six lakh to 15 lakh young people from Assam were working outside the state and stressed the need to create more employment opportunities locally. He appealed to residents to cooperate with the project.
Several ministers, BTC Chief Hagrama Mohilary, MLAs, senior state officials and Adani Group Director Jeet Adani attended the ceremony.
