(a) whether the Government has received any proposal for supply of gas to the Nedulur and Shankarapally gas based power plants in Telangana State;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the steps taken by the Government for firm allotment of Gas to the two Gas based power plants in order to serve the farm sector operations and industries in the Telangana State?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)
(a) to (c): Yes, Madam. Nedunur and Shankarpalli gas based power plants have a requirement of 9.72 MMSCMD and 4.62 MMSCMD of gas respectively. Due to limited availability of domestic gas, Ministry of Power recommended for allocation of 2.8 MMSCMD of gas for 700 MW (Phase-I) of Nedunur gas based power project. The proposal for supply of gas to Nedunur gas based power project was placed before the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) in the meeting held on 24.2.2012. The EGoM noted the requirement of the project. However, no direction was issued in this regard. Since, there was no request for allocation of gas to Shankarpalli gas based power project by that time, the request could not be placed before the meeting of EGoM held on 24.2.2012.
Further, EGoM in its meeting held on 23.8.2013 has decided to maintain the level of supplies of domestic gas to fertilizer sector at 31.5 MMSCMD and give the sector first priority in meeting the requirement of shortfall below the level of 31.5 MMSCMD, from any additional production of NELP gas. It was also decided that after meeting the supply level of 31.5 MMSCMD to fertilizer sector, the entire additional NELP gas production, available during the years 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16, be supplied to power sector. Based on the projections on availability of domestic gas, the same is not likely to increase substantially till 2016-17. As such, the two gas based power plants may have to rely on imported RLNG to meet their gas requirement.