At a time when power sector is under stress, state-run Power Finance Corp Ltd (PFC) plans to start lending to projects such as sewage treatment plants, smart cities, railway electrification, mining, electric vehicle charging stations, mini-grids, among others. Similarly, for the first time, it financed two waste-to-energy power projects. A quantum jump was registered in financing renewable energy sector projects, wherein business grew 260% from Rs 2,500 crore to Rs 9,000 crore in the last financial year. Of the total Rs 2.79 lakh crore loan exposure that the company has, Rs 2.28 lakh crore is towards government-owned projects and about Rs 51,000 crore has been extended to private power projects. "Our 89% of the total asset book does not have any kind of stress, but the balance 11% stress (worth Rs 31,000 crore) is from the private lending," said Sharma.

Source: dna May 31, 2018 23:48 UTC