Power generation company NTPC on Saturday said it has signed a term loan agreement for Rs 5,000 crore was signed with State Bank of India (SBI).

The loan facility has been extended at an interest rate linked to 3-month MCLR (marginal cost of funds-based lending rate) of the bank and has a door-to-door tenure of 15 years, NTPC said in a statement.

NTPC’s invitation for bids for setting up 1,200 MW of solar generation units received a tepid response, with only one company winning bids for 300 MW. According to industry sources, Chinese government-backed TBEA Energy was the lowest bidder, quoting a tariff of Rs 2.63/unit. The company specialises in making power transformers.

The ceiling tariff for the auction was set at Rs 2.65/unit.

Over the past month, shares of NTPC Ltd have remained powerless, down about 7%. The company said last week that it added 1,320 megawatts (MW), which takes it closer to its annual capacity target of 5,000MW. The capacity additions augur well, though, and the firm’s regulated business model assures a fixed return on invested equity.

NTPC has recently commissioned the first unit (660MW) of its Khargone TPP (2x600MW). This plant is India’s first ultra-super-critical project with a station heat rate (SHR) of 2,070kcal/kWh. Notably, it is ~3% more efficient than the super critical ones given the higher steam parameters. Unit-1 is likely to commercialise soon, while unit-2 commissioning is scheduled for Jan’20. NTPC organised an analyst visit to this plant. Below are our key takeaways from it.

The power ministry has asked state-run NTPC to bid for potentially viable projects in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) and acquire them if the prices are attractive.

Power minister RK Singh told FE that he had asked NTPC to take a look at all the plants undergoing the CIRP process. “I have asked them to identify the ones with good machinery,” Singh said.

New Delhi: As part of India’s energy security efforts, state-run companies present in the conventional power space such as NTPC Ltd, NLC India Ltd (earlier known as Neyveli Lignite Corp. Ltd) ,and Power Grid Corp. of India Ltd (PGCIL) are being roped in to build massive green energy parks.

State-run power giant NTPC has been allocated Badam coal block in Jharkhand by Ministry of Coal following the acquisition of Barauni thermal plant, an official said.

"The Ministry of Coal has transferred the Badam coal block, located in Jharkhand, to the NTPC Ltd, on September 2, 2019," a senior company official said. The Badam coal block was earlier allocated to Bihar State Power Generation Company Ltd (BSPGCL).

At its annual analyst meet, the NTPC top management exuded confidence about: Reversal of the CWIP ratio to 20% over the next three years (from 42% currently) led by higher capacity commercialisation; Rs 80,000 crore regulated equity by FY22E, implying a 15% CAGR; aggressive stance in adding renewable energy (RE) capacity under various modes (PPA, merchant, flexi generation, etc), which would earn at least regulated returns, if not higher; and ramping up captive coal mines and that higher ACQ would preclude fuel-based under-recovery.

NTPC, India’s largest power producer, is planning to set up ultra mega solar parks (UMSPs) of 5,000 MW capacity across solar radiation-rich states of Gujarat and Rajasthan to help India meet its 2022 renewable energy target, and to reduce its overall dependence on fossil fuel. NTPC chairman and MD Gurdeep Singh said the first ultra mega solar park will come up in Kutch district of Gujarat, while the next is planned in Rajasthan. “We have identified the location, and the process for acquisition of land will start soon in Kutch. We plan to invite the bids for the first phase of the park by March 2020,” Singh said.

State-owned power giant NTPC on Saturday posted a 5.63 per cent rise in its consolidated net profit to Rs 2,840.28 crore in the June 2019 quarter.

Its net profit was Rs 2,688.96 crore in the corresponding period a year ago, the company said in a BSE filing.

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