INTERVIEW-India's Tata Power eyeing projects in SE Asia

MUMBAI, March 7 (Reuters) - Indian utility Tata Power Co Ltd (TTPW.BO: Quote, Profile, Research) is considering building power plants in Southeast Asia and is looking at mines in Indonesia though rising coal prices are making acquisitions expensive, its managing director said.

The company, India's oldest private power producer, is spending more than $6 billion to quadruple domestic capacity to 10,000 megawatts by 2013 from 2,300 megawatt.

"Instead of putting everything into India, we would be happy to expand overseas and look at Southeast Asia," Prasad Menon told Reuters in an interview on Friday.

Last year, Tata Power, valued at nearly $6.5 billion, was interested in Singapore's Tuas Power but rival Reliance Energy Ltd (RLEN.BO: Quote, Profile, Research) was shortlisted from nine firms for the sale by state-investor Temasek Holdings [TEM.UL].

Rising coal prices are making it expensive to acquire foreign mines, but the company is on the hunt, Menon said.

"We are looking for mines and offtake agreements in Indonesia and elsewhere, where we can find a combination of equity and long-term supply contracts," he said.

The company had earlier said it was eyeing coal from mines in South Africa and Mozambique.

Contract prices of thermal coal in Asia may rise by as much as 200 percent after recent supply disruptions, according to Merrill Lynch report on Friday. [ID:nSYD224890]

Tata Power supplies electricity to Mumbai, India's financial capital, and operates a distribution arm in New Delhi.

Menon said the company may enter coal shipping business as it seeks to import more coal for its coastal power plants. It plans to import nearly 12 million tonnes of coal a year.

RISING DEMAND

India and China will lead a 73 percent leap in world coal demand to 4,994 million tonnes of oil equivalent by 2030 from 2,892 million tonnes in 2005, the International Energy Agency said in late 2007.

"Higher coal prices will have an impact on Tata Power's future plans if it bids for other power projects in India," said Mehul Mukati, analyst with Emkay Share and Stock Brokers.

"The company has been constantly focusing on generation rather than distribution as risks are relatively lower," he said.

The utility, part of India's salt-to-software Tata Group, last year bought 30 percent stakes in two coal mines owned by Indonesia's largest coal producer, PT Bumi Resources (BUMI.JK: Quote, Profile, Research), for $1.3 billion.

Shares in the company ended 5.1 percent lower at 1,136.30 rupees in a weak Mumbai market (.BSESN: Quote, Profile, Research) that fell 3.4 percent.

Tata Power competes with top state-run producer NTPC Ltd, (NTPC.BO: Quote, Profile, Research), which contributes more than a quarter of India's electricity generation, and Reliance Energy.

Asian utilities are scouting for stakes in overseas coal mines on growing concerns over security of long-term supplies.

State-run Korea Electric Power Corp (015760.KS: Quote, Profile, Research) said last year it planned to buy a 10 percent stake in an Australian miner.

Menon said Tata Power also plans to double its wind power generation capacity to 200 megawatt by December.

He said the company was keen on power trading business and had picked up 5 percent in Indian Energy Exchange, a power bourse that is expected to start operations in the coming months.

(Editing by Louise Ireland)