Mamata Banerjee to Lay Foundation for Rs 16,000 Crore Salboni Power Plant April 21

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is set to lay the foundation stone for a major 1,600 MW thermal power plant in Salboni, Paschim Medinipur, spearheaded by JSW Energy at an investment of Rs 16,000 crore. This project, the largest private sector investment in the state’s core sector in 14 years, features two 800 MW units and is expected to be commissioned within five years. The plant will be fueled by domestic coal and backed by a 25-year power purchase agreement with the state electricity distribution company. Alongside this, the state is advancing several other thermal projects, including new supercritical units at Durgapur and Bakreshwar, and expanding renewable energy with a 112 MW solar plant developed in partnership with a German company. Banerjee highlighted that these initiatives aim to meet rising power demand, ensure uninterrupted supply, and transform the region into an energy hub. She attributed current improvements to sustained investment and planning since her party came to power, contrasting it with the prolonged outages under previous administrations.