The West Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd (WBPDCL) has begun the environmental assessment process for a proposed 800 MW super-critical or ultra-super-critical power unit at the Bakreshwar Thermal Power Station, with the project expected to involve an investment of around Rs 10,070 crore.
The corporation has invited bids to appoint a consultant for the environmental impact assessment (EIA) study and associated services for Unit 6 at Bakreshwar. According to a senior official cited in the report, the deadline for submitting bids is November 17. The contract will be awarded after the technical and financial bids are evaluated.
The proposed unit is planned to be developed by WBPDCL, the state power-generation company. Officials said the project is expected to be completed within four to five years, although the current process is at the stage of selecting the consultant who will undertake the environmental assessment.
“WBPDCL has decided to engage a consultant to conduct an EIA study and associated services for unit 6 of 800 MW at Bakreshwar Thermal Power Station and has sought bids in this regard. Nov 17 is the last date for bid submission. The contract will be awarded after evaluation of technical and financial bids,” the senior official said.
The EIA will be the next significant technical step after the consultant is appointed. Officials estimate that the study itself will take about six months from the award of the contract. The assessment is intended to support the proposed expansion by examining the project’s environmental implications before subsequent stages of development.
Bakreshwar Thermal Power Station is the site identified for the proposed Unit 6. The project is being described as either super-critical or ultra-super-critical, technologies associated with higher-capacity thermal power generation. The supplied information does not specify which of the two technology options will be selected, nor does it provide details of the proposed unit’s fuel arrangements, land requirement, emissions-control systems or water-use plans.
The Rs 10,070-crore estimate places the proposal among the state’s major planned power-sector investments. However, the project is not yet at the construction stage. The immediate decision before WBPDCL is the appointment of the EIA consultant, followed by preparation of the study over an estimated six-month period.
The proposed four-to-five-year completion period will begin against the backdrop of this preliminary assessment and procurement process. Further milestones, including the outcome of the consultant selection, the findings of the EIA and subsequent approvals, will determine how the Unit 6 proposal progresses.
WBPDCL’s bid submission deadline is November 17, after which the corporation will evaluate the technical and financial offers before awarding the EIA contract.
