Major Thermal Power Project to Be Set Up in Salboni, West Bengal | 21 Apr 2025
Why in News
The Chief Minister of West Bengal is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for a Rs 16,000 crore thermal power project in Salboni, located in Paschim Medinipur district. This is the largest private investment in West Bengal's core sector in the last 14 years.
Key Points
- About:
- The project will establish a 1600 MW thermal power plant, divided into two units of 800 MW each.
- The first unit is expected to be operational in four years, and the second unit in the fifth year.
- It is being developed by Jindal South West (JSW) Energy under the Design-Build-Finance-Own-Operate (DBFOO) model.
- The project will establish a 1600 MW thermal power plant, divided into two units of 800 MW each.
- Energy and Resource Linkages:
- Coal India Ltd will supply coal for the plant through the Shakti B(IV) scheme.
- Economic and Industrial Impact:
- At peak construction, the project is expected to generate employment for 4,000-6,000 people and create 800-1,000 permanent jobs once operational.
- It represents a major step in the revival of large-scale industry in western West Bengal.
- Future Expansion Plans:
- At the Bengal Global Business Summit 2025, Sajjan Jindal (Chairman, JSW Group) announced plans to double the plant’s capacity with another major investment.
- Additional thermal power projects are also planned in Durgapur, Bakreshwar, and Santaldih.
- The state government and JSW Group also plan to establish a new industrial park in Salboni.
Major Thermal Power Plants in West Bengal
- Bandel Thermal Power Station (situated on the western bank of Bhagirathi River, Hooghly district)
- Bakreswar Thermal Power Plant (Birbhum district)
- Kolaghat Thermal Power Station (Purba Medinipur district)
- Sagardighi Thermal Power Plant (Murshidabad district)
- Santaldihi Thermal Power Station (Purulia district)
SHAKTI Scheme
- The Ministry of Coal introduced the Scheme for Harnessing and Allocating Koyala (Coal) Transparently in India (SHAKTI) in 2017.
- SHAKTI Policy is a transparent way of allocating coal to the Power Sector.
- Under SHAKTI Para B (iv), the coal linkages have been earmarked to the States of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, West Bengal, Assam and Kerala for a capacity of 4000 MW, 5600 MW, 6740 MW, 3299 MW, 1600 MW, 2000 MW, 4100 MW, 500 MW and 500 MW respectively.