The government is believed to have approved fuel linkage for eleven thermal power projects

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of NTPC and Damodar Valley Corporation totalling an investment of over Rs 29,000 crore.

"Coal linkages for the 11 supercritical units of 660 MW each, which would come up in the XIIth Plan-Period (2012-17) have been sanctioned," a coal ministry source said.

These 11 units include nine units of NTPC's power plants at Nabinagar (3x660 MW), Meja (2x660 MW), Solapur (2x660 MW) and Mouda (2x660 MW) and two units of DVC's Raghunathpur plant in West Bengal.

The global tender for sourcing equipment for these units was floated in October last year.

Supercritical units are environment friendly and improve efficiency of thermal power projects. The equipment would be used in five power projects in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

The Cabinet committee on infrastructure gave its approval to the bulk tender in September last year.