Dabhol project set to get gas from Dahej

MUMBAI: The Dabhol power project in Ratnagiri district will start getting gas from Dahej pipeline this week, Maharashtra Energy Minister Dilip Valse Patil said on Monday.

"We expect to get gas for the project this week. The project would be operational on gas a week after that," the minister told reporters here.

The project would start generating its full capacity of 2,100 MW in December, he said.

One 740 MW unit of the project has been running on naphtha and would be shifted to gas. The other two units would be made operational with gas as fuel over the next few months.

Patil also said orders have been placed with BHEL for equipment to generate an additional 2,000 MW in Parli, Paras, Bhusawal and Khaparkheda projects.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently chaired a meeting and instructed expedition of supply of equipment, he said.

The load-shedding situation in the state is expected to improve considerably next year, with increase in power generation capacity, the minister said.

"We envisage load-shedding of about 2500 MW next summer," he said, claiming, as of today the load-shedding was zero.

Union heavy industries minister Santosh Mohan Dev recently visited the state and went around the Paras power project, he added.