Nalco Extends Deadline for its First Wind Power Plant in India

MUMBAI, July 20 -- National Aluminium Co., India's second-biggest producer of the metal, gave companies an additional month to bid to build its first wind power project.

"We decided to extend the deadline to have more competitive bidding," B.K. Das, chief manager of the auction, said by telephone today from Bhubaneswar in the eastern state of Orissa, where state-owned National Aluminium is based.

Companies interested in building and operating the 50- megawatt wind plant for 20 years now have until 3 p.m. local time on Aug. 20 to bid for the project, Das said, declining to say if any offers have been received. The previous deadline was today, he said.

The aluminum producer is expanding capacity to produce power to help feed its smelters and reduce the purchase of expensive electricity. National Aluminum boosted its power generation capacity by 13 percent to 1,080 megawatts after commissioning a 120-megawatt unit in the quarter ending June 30, according to a research note by Anand Rathi Securities on May 18.

Overseas and Indian companies may bid for the wind project and should be prepared to complete the plant within eight months of signing a letter of intent, Das said.