Petronet to fire up Delhi plants ahead of Games

NEW DELHI: With an eye on ensuring adequate power supply in the capital in time for the ’10 Commonwealth Games, Petronet LNG will supply 6 million metric standard cubic metres per day (mmscmd) of LNG to Delhi’s three gas-fired power plants from ’09.

The gas will be used for Bawana plant (1000MW), Pragati II (330MW), both these plants are expected to be commissioned early ’10. The third beneficiary is the Indraprastha Gas (IPGCL) plant, this 330MW unit has been operating below par due to lack of gas. A memorandum of understanding to this effect was signed on Friday between Petronet LNG, a consortium of state-owned energy companies, and the Delhi government.

This would mean an additional 1600MW of power generated by the National Capital Region for its consumption. This is over and above the 4,500MW tied up from generating stations located in coal pithead based plants, through MoUs with the Damodar Valley Corporation, NTPC and the Haryana government. Increased generation within the NCR would mean that Delhi can be insulated to some extent from grid disturbances.

“Currently, 5.76 mmscmd gas is being supplied to the existing power projects at Dadri and Faridabad and Pragati power project and IP Power project in Delhi, but this is not sufficient to meet the existing and future power requirements of Delhi and the NCR Region,” said minister for petroleum and natural gas Murli Deora.

Delhi is currently facing a shortfall of nearly 700MW. Its demand is nearly 4100MW and has a supply of 3400MW. Besides a natural growth in demand at the average rate of 8%, demand for power in the capital is expected to increase sharply in ’10 when it hosts the Commonwealth Games. Estimates put Delhi’s demand to rise to 6000MW by ’10.

The government hopes that with this steady supply of gas and the timely commissioning of all proposed projects, there would be a change in the capital’s power scenario. Projections show that the capital could move from a power shortage situation to that of a surplus. Estimates put a figure of 969MW surplus in ’10-11 and 897MW in ’11-12.

Earlier this month, the cabinet secretary had decided at a meeting that Petronet LNG would provide additional supplies of 10 mmscmd of LNG to Delhi for its gas-fired plants.

On the back of this decision the Delhi Cabinet approved the plans for the 1000MW gas-fired plant at Bawana plant which is to be operated by NTPC. The project had been conceptualised several years ago but was languishing due to non-availability of gas.

Petronet’s Dahej LNG Terminal currently supplies 20 mmscmd of regasified LNG to Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi. Petronet has already commenced expansion of the Dahej terminal from the existing 5mt to 10mt. This can be further expanded to 12.5mt.