Nellore: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday launched the 2,640-MW Sembcorp-Gayatri Power Complex at Nelaturu in Muthukuru mandal of Nellore district on Saturday. At a project cost of $3 billion ('20,000 crore), the power complex is the largest foreign direct investment-driven project at a single site in the thermal energy sector in India. Singapore trade minister S. Iswaran, Union ministers M. Venkaiah Naidu, Prakash Javadekar, Piyush Goyel and Y.S. Chowdary were present at the landmark event. They were joined by senior management representatives from Sembcorp Industries, a leading energy, water and marine group, and its partner in the project, Gayatri Energy Ventures.
The complex houses two 1,320-MW supercritical coal-fired power plants. The first power plant, Thermal Powertech Corpo-ration India, commenced full commercial operations in September last. The second power plant, NCC Power Projects, is expected to be operational in 2016. Speaking at the event, Mr Naidu urged the Centre to consider an exclusive corridor for freight movement between Raipur and Visakhapatnam. The Centre has proposed three such corridors: Vijayawada-Kharagpur, Kharagpur-Mumbai and Chennai- New Delhi.
Rajya Sabha member T. Subbarami Reddy called upon all political parties to lend their support to the Mr Naidu to build a world class capital for the state. “The CM’s post is a crown with thrones. Although it is a challenge to build a new capital from scratch, the CM is capable of handling it and his only ambition is to develop the state,” Mr Subbarami Reddy said.
