The Uttarakhand government is considering a tariff-based competitive bidding process to attract private players for the development of its first-ever 1,320 MW coal-based thermal power plant. The project aims to enhance the state’s power generation capacity and address the issue of base load power supply.

R. Meenakshi Sundaram, the Secretary for Energy and Renewable Energy in Uttarakhand, shared that the government aims to expedite the commissioning of the plant. Initially, the plant was set to be developed as a joint venture between Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam (UJVN) Ltd and THDC India Ltd, with the central government providing in-principle approval in June.

While Uttarakhand has significant hydroelectric potential, with 18 GW available, its operational capacity stands at 4 GW. The state has also set a modest solar power target of 2 GW but is now focused on thermal power plants to meet energy demands, especially for base load supply.

In addition to this project, the state is also advancing the development of pumped storage projects, with an expected 1,000 MW capacity in Tehri set to be operational by December.