The Maharashtra government has sought the petroleum ministry?s intervention for allocation of gas from Reliance Industries? K-G basin pipeline for a proposed 1,040-mw expansion of MahaGenco?s Uran plant. The Uran expansion would need 5.4 mmscmd of gas.
Besides, the state government has also approached the ministry for allocation of extra gas for the existing Uran gas-based project, which is running under capacity for want of gas.
The state government has argued that an additional allocation of 1 mmscmd would help generate additional 200-250 mw. Currently, the Uran plant, with the installed capacity of 852 mw, is able to generate only 460 mw of power due to inadequate gas availability.
Maharashtra, currently, is reeling under severe power crisis with daily peaking shortage of around 5,000 mw, which is expected to increase further.
According to a senior state government official, ?As far as the Uran expansion is concerned, chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has urged the petroleum minister Murli Deora to use his good offices for getting 5.4 mmscmd of gas from Reliance Industries? KG basin gas pipeline, which passes through the state. Reliance has already indicated that gas supply will be made from July 2008. Deora has assured to do the needful.?
On the availability of additional 1 mmscmd for Uran?s existing plant, the official said that currently Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) supplies around 2 mmscmd of gas, which is not adequate enough to run the plant at its full capacity. ?We have requested the minister for an additional 1 mmscmd of gas so that 200-250 mw extra power can be generated from the plant. The government and MahaGenco have held meeting with GAIL India, which has said that additional gas supply for Uran?s existing plant will be possible only after the Uran-Dabhol pipeline is completed by March next year,?the official noted.