Mumbai - 8 cos submit EoIs for distributing power in RInfra's area

Eight companies have submitted their Expressions of Interest (EoIs) to the state's electricity regulator MERC for distributing power in the license area of RInfra in the city's suburbs. Last month, Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Authority (MERC) had invited EoIs from interested parties for supplying power in the suburbs where presently the Anil Ambani-led Reliance Infrastructure (RInfra) is distributing electricity. 

The company's license expires on August 15 next year. Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDCL), which supplies power in the rest of the state, and RInfra's competitor Tata Power Company (TPC) have submitted their EoIs to the MERC. 

Interestingly, RInfra has not submitted its EoI. Instead, it has filed a petition for amendment of license conditions. Apart from TPC and MSEDCL, Torrent Power Limited, DPSC Limited (Kolkata), Lanco Infrastructure, GMR Energy Limited, Indiabulls Power Limited and Enzen Global Solution Pvt Ltd (Bangalore) have submitted their EoIs.

Currently, RInfra has a consumer base of 27.24-lakh consumers, including residential, commercial, industrial and streetlights in its area of supply. Last year, the Supreme Court had upheld TPC's demand to operate as a retail distributor in the distribution areas of BEST and RInfra in Mumbai.

Following this, nearly 45,000 RInfra consumers had shifted to TPC. TPC and RInfra had entered into a legal battle after the former declined to supply 160 MW of power to the latter for supplying power to its suburban consumers.