Gas allocation for power plant likely
Hitender Rao
CHANDIGARH:
FARIDABAD PLANT To be approved by panel headed by Pranab ( )

The power ministry has recommended 2.8 mmscmd of gas at 70% of the plant load factor M A D H U S U DA N P R A S A D principal secretary, power
n a significant development, the union power ministry has recommended an allocation of 2.8 million standard cubic meters per day (mmscmd) of natural gas for one unit of the proposed 2X 750 MW gas-based power plant at Faridabad. The ministry communicated the proposal to its union petroleum and natural gas counterpart last week.

The recommendation will now be considered and approved by the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) headed by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Principal secretary, power, Haryana Madhusudan Prasad said that the development was significant as it paved way for consideration of gas allocation by the EGoM. “The ministry has recommended allocation of 2.8 mmscmd of gas at 70 per cent plant load factor as per the EGoM norms for one unit of 750 MW. The plant will be set up on turnkey basis by an EPC contractor,“ Prasad said.

Chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who in February took up the matter of gas allocation with union power minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, met him on Thursday seeking gas allocation for the proposed second 750 MW unit as well. The gas will be sourced from the KG basin in Andhra Pradesh.
“The state is now in the queue to get allocation of natural gas depending upon its availability.
Besides Haryana, the ministry has also recommended cases of three other public sector power projects a 350 MW project of Puducherry Power Corporation Limited at Yannam; 1050 MW project of NTPC at Kayamkulam in Kerala and 700 MW project of Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation at Karimnagar for allocation of gas,“ said an official.

Managing director, Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited (HPGCL) Sanjeev Kaushal told Hindustan Times that they had got land allotted for the project in Mothuka and Arwa villages in Faridabad district.

“The detailed project report has been prepared. We have got clearance from the irrigation department. The process of getting environmental clearance is on,“ Kaushal said.

A private player, Aban Loyd Chiles Off Shore Ltd had in 2004 signed a memorandum of understanding with the state government to set up a 260-MW gas-based power plant in Faridabad. The project was expected to get commissioned in 2007. However, due to nonavailability of natural gas, the project could never take off.