Patna, Oct. 25: Bihar Power Infrastructure Company (BPIC) has identified around 2,500 acres in Banka district to set up a 4,000MW ultra mega power project that can help the state meet its energy requirements.

BPIC, a joint venture consultant firm of the Bihar government and Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited (IL&FS), has been entrusted with the job of preparing a preliminary report to find the possibility of setting up an ultra mega power project in Bihar.

An ultra mega power project has the capacity to generate power of 4,000MW or above.

These coal-based projects are developed by the Union power ministry in association with CEA and Power Finance Corporation and awarded to developers based on competitive bidding.

Of the energy generated at an ultra mega power plant, 50 per cent goes to the state where the plant is situated and the rest goes into the central quota.

If everything goes according to the plan, the plant could be commissioned in five to six years, said sources. Once set up, the ultra mega power project would help Bihar, a power-deficient state, in meeting its energy requirement.

A senior officer of Bihar State Electricity Board said: “It is good news for us that the BPIC has sent its preliminary site selection report to the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) in which the company has pointed out the available land in Banka district (around 270km southwest of Patna) where such a big project could be set up.”

The report states that the 2,500 acres of non-arable land is available around 14km from Banka town and water to the project can be supplied from Sultanganj, about 65km from the site.

Sources added that the plant could draw 120 cusecs (cubic feet per second) of water for power generation from Sultanganj via pipes.

The Centre had given in-principle nod to set up the ultra mega power project in Bihar in July and a high-level technical team comprising officials from CEA and PFC was sent to Bihar.

The team conducted a detailed study of the state’s topography and the available resources for setting up the plant.

The CEA team will visit Bihar again to inspect the site selected for the project, sources said, to assess if coal linkage would be available at the site or can be easily transported through any mode of communication, including railways.

Franchisee bid

Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB) has invited bids for the third time to select distribution franchisees in Patna, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur and Gaya for better power supply and services.

“We have issued fresh tenders on October 22 for appointment of distribution franchisee for the state capital and three other cities and their adjoining areas. The request for proposal could be obtained between October 22 and December 14. The proposal must reach on or before December 17, as the bid would be opened the next day,” said BSEB member (finance and revenue) Vinayak Chandra Gupta.