THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF POWER ( SHRIMATI JAYAWANTI MEHTA )
(a) & (b): National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has two gas based power
plants in Gujarat viz., one at Kawas of 645 MW capacity and the other at Jhanor Gandhar
of 648 MW. Each of these plants requires 3 Million Cubic Meter Per Day (MCMD) of
gas to run at full capacity. While Kawas gas plant has been provided a gas linkage of 2.25
MCMD, Jhanor Gandhar gas plant has a linkage of 1.50 MCMD of gas only.
However, the details of actual supply of gas and generation (PLF) in these plants
are as follows:
Year Kawas Gas Plant Jhanor Gandhar Gas Plant
Gas Supply PLF (%) Gas Supply PLF (%) (MCMD) (MCMD)
2000-01 1.47 81.7 1.53 48.5
2001-02 (till 07`01) 0.78 74.29 1.84 60.85
(c) & (d): The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MP & NG) has been
approached for increasing gas supply to these gas plants. The MP & NG has stated that
additional gas will be supplied as and when the same is available.
To supplement the gas supply for optimum capacity utilization, gas from
Kawas gas plant is being diverted to Jhanor Gandhar gas plant by the Gas Authority of
India Limited (GAIL). The short supply of gas at Kawas gas plant is being supplemented
by firing naphtha.
(e) & (f): The Govt. have approved expansion of Kawas and Jhanor Gandhar gas
plants of NTPC by addition of 650 MW capacity each as mega projects. These projects
were originally proposed to be set up with naphtha as bridge fuel and Liquified Natural
Gas (LNG) as long term fuel. However, in view of abnormal increase in prices of
naphtha and also LNG, NTPC has decided to match commissioning of these projects with
the availability of imported regassified LNG at a reasonable and stable price. Based on
the expected cost of regassified LNG, the cost of generation is estimated to be about
RS. 4/kwh. NTPC had sought re-confirmation from the beneficiary states for availing
power from these expansion projects at this indicative price to enable them to take up
construction of these projects. Major beneficiaries namely Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli have
expressed their unwillingness to purchase power at such a high cost. NTPC will take up
further processing of these expansion projects for investment approval only after
confirmation of availability of LNG at reasonably firm price and acceptance of the cost of
generation based on LNG price by the beneficiary states.
