Patna, Jan. 29: The first unit of 660MW of Barh Super Thermal Power Station would start generation from September 2013, instead of its previous target of June 2013.

Sources said the trial run of the plant would be started in May after which the actual generation would follow in the next three-four months. The extension means the state would have to manage its power requirement from the central share of allocation to tide over shortage. A senior officer in Bihar State Power (Holding) Company said: “NTPC officials have said the first unit would start generating power from September (2013) if everything goes according to plan.”

During review of the Barh project on May 30 last year, chief minister Nitish Kumar had asked senior NTPC officials to speed up work and make the Stage II (two units of 660MW capacity plants each) of the plant operational by the end of the current fiscal.

Nitish’s seriousness stemmed from the fact that the Centre has accepted the state’s long-pending demand of granting 50 per cent of allocation to Bihar from the Stage II of the 1,320 MW Barh plant.