The Maharashtra government has decided to phase out at least six generating units at coal based power plants that have outlived their utility.

According to deputy chief minister Mr Ajit Pawar, we will auction these power units to generate additional space and resources. He told reporters that the units had capacity to generate 40 MW or less power. He added that one of the units was located in Chandrapur.

Mr Pawar who holds portfolios for finance, planning and energy said that being coal based, the units were not only cost intensive, but were also seen as a source of pollution and had outlived the purpose for which they were setup.

Mr Pawar was speaking in the context of various power sector reforms introduced by the state, in coordination with the union government, for attaining the promised target of a zero-load-shedding Maharashtra by 2012.

He said there was no reason to doubt the ability of the state to achieve the target going by the kind of investment and new infrastructure being built in the power sector. On an average, the state's demand for power had increased by 8% annually

(Sourced from www.domain-b.com)