Bandel power station to get Gail gas support

KOLKATA: West Bengal Power Development Corp (WBPDCL) plans to support its proposed 300 mw plant at Bandel Thermal Power Station (BTPS) with gas supplied by Gail. Orders for the project are likely to be placed towards the beginning of the 12th Plan, by which time the gas is likely to be available in Bengal.

“If gas is available through Gail’s proposed pipeline, we will set up a combined cycle power plant of 300 mw unit there. This unit will replace the existing first four units at Bandel. Investment for the project is likely to be about Rs 1,200 crore,” WBPDCL MD S Mahapatra told ET.

“We will initiate the process of shutting down the first four units in 2009-10. The process is likely to take about a year before we can fully dismantle the units and clear the location for setting up a new power plant. Land availability is a constraint at BTPS, hence the decision to switch to gas powered units,” Mr Mahapatra added.

Gail has firmed up plans to build a gas pipeline from Jagdishpur in Uttar Pradesh to Haldia in West Bengal. The 870-km pipeline with a capacity to carry 20 million cubic metres natural gas per day and will be connected with the Hazira-Bijaipur-Jagdishpur (HBJ) and Dahej-Hazira pipelines.

The proposed unit at Bandel is likely to consume about 1-1.5 mmscmd of gas. “In 2005, WBPDCL had entered into an agreement with Gail for buying gas from the pipeline they are planning to set up. Although Gail is yet to start supply of gas, the existing agreement has recently been reworked and we have agreed to buy gas at prices that will prevail at the times supply starts,” he added.

"Bandel Thermal Power Station (BTPS) has five units, the first four are 80 mw each. These were set up 22-24 years ago and has lived their useful life almost in entirety. Their plant load factor has gone down sharply over the years and we have derated their capacities from 80 mw to 60 mw in the recent past," said Mr Mahapatra. The fifth unit of BTPS has an installed capacity of 210 mw. It will be modernised with aid from World Bank.