CM Sarbananda Sonowal visits NRPP and APCL’s Methanol and Formaldehyde plant site

Namrup Replacement Thermal Power Plant to be commissioned by May end, APCL’s Methanol and Formaldehyde plant to be commissioned by December

Staff Correspondent

DIBRUGARH: In a major boost to the energy sector in the State, the Namrup Replacement Thermal Power Plant (NRPP) with production capacity of 100 MW will be commissioned by May end this year. The APGCL officials informed this to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal during his visit to the project site at Namrup in Dibrugarh district on Thursday.

The commissioning of the replacement plant will augment generation capacity of Namrup Thermal Power Station up to 127 MW. The Chief Minister, while reviewing the project works of the Replacement Plant in a meeting held at Namrup Thermal Power Station (NTPS) conference hall, asked the APGCL officials to ensure commissioning of the project by May end without fail. He said that though foundation stone of the project was laid almost a decade back, its progress was very slow in the initial years. He said that strict measures must be taken by APGCL so that the deadline is not missed by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited which is carrying out the project.

In view of slow progress of the project, Chief Minister Sonowal during his last visit on September 26 last year had asked BHEL officials to ensure timely completion of the project.

Stating power as a driving force for the industries, the Chief Minister said that expeditious completion of power projects needed to be given special priority. The Chief Minister further said that industrial growth would give a renewed boost to economy, which was hit hard by the novel coronavirus induced nationwide lockdown at present.

Apart from APDCL chairman Vinod Kumar Pipersenia and MD Kalyani Baruah, MLAs Balin Chetia, Bimal Bora, Teros Gowala, Naren Sonowal and Rituparna Baruah, Deputy Commissioner Pallav Gopal Jha and Superintendent of Police T Sreejith were present during the visit of the Chief Minister.

Later, Chief Minister Sonowal also visited the construction site of 500 TPD Methanol and 200 TPD Formaldehyde plant of Assam Petro-Chemicals Limited at Namrup and took stock of progress of the project. APCL chairman Bikul Chandra Deka, in a review meeting held at the APCL conference hall, informed the Chief Minister that the project would be commissioned by December this year which would substantially increase its revenue.

The Chief Minister during the visit also met officials of Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited at the APCL conference hall and reviewed production of its third unit which is presently operational now. The officials informed the Chief Minister that for revamping the second unit and augmenting production capacity of the third unit, necessary steps were being taken by the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.

The Chief Minister during the review said that in order to meet the fertilizer demand of the region, setting up of the fourth unit of BVFCL was very essential. He said that the State Government was in close touch with the Union Ministry so that the fourth unit could be made functional.

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