Visa extension for Chinese workers to help power projects
Hindu Bussinessline

Pratim Ranjan Bose

Kolkata, Sept. 29

The Union Government’s decision to extend the deadline to convert business visa into employment visa from September 30 to October 31 for Chinese citizens may help a number of power projects in the country avoid possible impact on completion schedules.

According to a rough estimate out of a total projected 78,000 MW capacity addition during the Eleventh Plan period (2007-2012), one-fifth or 16,000 MW is slated to be generated in 17-18 projects based on imported Chinese power equipment.

While some of the projects have already come on stream, the rest are under various stages of implementation.

The projects that are merely weeks away from implementation include the second and third 330 MW units of Adani Power at Mundra, second 300 MW unit of the West Bengal Power Development Corporation (WBPDCL) at Sagardighi.

“Around 20-25 Chinese workers are currently working to stabilise the second unit at Sagardighi. According to our information, most of them are in the country on business visa,” the WBPDCL Managing Director, Mr Debasis Sen, told Business Line.

“The earlier deadline would have impacted our project which is in final stages of commissioning.

“Now that the deadline is extended, we think we have avoided the impact on project implementation,” Mr Sen added.

Bengal projects

West Bengal is slated to generate a total of 2,100 MW based on Chinese equipment.

The largest of these projects is 2 X 600 MW Raghunathpur thermal power station of Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC). Adani Power depending on Chinese equipment to set up its proposed 6,600 MW greenfield capacity addition in Gujarat and Maharashtra.

While company officials were not available to comment, sources said that with the visa deadline, if not extended, could have impacted the targeted commissioning of the second 330 MW unit at Mundra in October