The Hindu Business Line : ‘LNG-starved stations may normalise production in a week’

Gandhinagar, July 21 With the possible arrival of liquefied natural gas (LNG) consignment in Gujarat in the next few days, the gas-fired power stations are expected to resume their normal production of nearly 900 MW in Gujarat within a week, the Minister of State for Energy and Petrochemicals, Mr Saurabh Patel, said here on Monday.

Shortage of LNG due to non-arrival of gas consignments has resulted in reduction of about 500 MW of power and gas-user power stations in Gujarat have been forced to use the expensive naphtha as an alternative fuel. The generation cost from LNG is not more than Rs 3 a unit, while a unit of naphtha-generated electricity comes four times costlier.

The State had to bear this burden in view of the increased demand of electricity in the agriculture sector for irrigation due to farmers increasingly pumping ground water to save crops — as the rains have played truant during the last two to three weeks.

Additionally, the authorities had to regulate power supply to industries and make them strictly adhere to weekly holidays.

Gujarat produces nearly 800-900 MW of power using LNG as fuel. Out of this, it was generating only 400 MW since the last few weeks due to non-availability of gas.

“If we have an assured supply of LNG, we plan to add more capacity and generate a total of 1,000 MW this year,” he told Business Line.

However, he declined to specify where the latest LNG consignment would arrive from. The State has two LNG terminals at Hazira, managed by Shell, and Dahej (both in South Gujarat), while two more are being planned at Mundra in Kutch and Pipavav in Saurashtra region.

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