INDIA: Sugar mills 2009/10 power production seen up at 750MW
Published: 07/03/2009, 2:05:33 PM
India's sugar mills are likely to produce 750MW of electricity from bagasse, a byproduct of sugarcane crushing, in the current financial year compared with 400 MW in 2008/09, according to Dow Jones.
"There are 1,600 MW-1,700 MW of power projects under construction by the sugar mills. These will become operational by March 2011," JR Meshram, director of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, told reporters on the sidelines of an industry conference.
The government has plans to increase the total power production by sugar mills to 5,000 MW, Meshram said, without mentioning a timeframe.
Currently, 109 mills of a total of 600 produce electricity, supplying it mainly to state electricity boards.
Most of the cogeneration facilities are in the five sugar cane growing states of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. "We are planning to add another 120 mills by 2011," Meshram said.
The government is planning to spend INR300 million (US$6.26 million) on increasing power generation this fiscal to meet rising demand.