Bhopal, Nov 17 : Union Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh Tuesday dedicated to the nation a state-of-the-art transformer manufacturing facility here.

The facility, set up by Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL), is part of its programme to expand its power generation capacity to 15,000 MW per annum.

"With this, the total installed transformer manufacturing capacity at BHEL's Bhopal unit will go up to 30,000 MVA per annum," Deshmukh told reporters.

BHEL will also form a joint venture with the Madhya Pradesh Power Generating Co to set up a 2x800 MW super-critical thermal power plant in Khandwa district.

Deshmukh said the central government has set a target of producing 20,000 MW of power by 2012, and that the joint venture between BHEL and Madhya Pradesh was a significant step in this context.

"If the growth rate of eight to nine percent is to be achieved in future, power generation must reach 20,000 MW by 2012," he said, adding that the target for the 11th Five-Year Plan period that ends 2012 has been set at 78,000 MW.(IANS)