The Hindu Business Line : Gas shortage leaves power utilities struggling

The fate of several of the upcoming gas-based stations, adding up to 4,642 MW across the Central, State, and private sectors before the end of the current five-year Plan period hangs in the balance as a number of these projects are still struggling to tie up fuel linkages in time for their commissioning schedule.

In view of uncertainty over availability and price of gas for existing plants, the Power Ministry has now decided against pursuing new gas-based projects.

The gas shortage issue, along with the coal scarcity affecting power generation, is among the key issues to be taken up at the next meeting of the Prime Minister's Energy Co-ordination Committee, Government officials said.

NTPC Ltd, the country's largest power generator, is faced with the prospect of some of its new and expansion projects - especially the upcoming projects including those at Kawas and Gandhar - struggling to get fuel linkages in place.

Some of NTPC's existing gas-based projects, including the Faridabad and Dadri stations, have reported a dip in generation during the last couple of months.

In August, the Faridabad project generated only 83.5 per cent of the electricity it had generated during the same month last year.

The Dadri station generated 86.6 per cent of the figure for last August.

Thermal utilities in the State sector have reported a shortfall in generation to the tune of 11,231 million units between April-September this year, against last year's figures, largely on account of a the fuel shortage, officials said.

Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh are among the worst affected, with APGENCO reporting a lower plant load factor (PLF) of 59.9 per cent at its thermal stations in August, a big drop when compared with last year's PLF of 81.7 per cent, according to CEA data.

APGENCO's cumulative PLF for April-August was 79.2 per cent, against 88 per cent during the same period last year.

Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd's (KPCL) PLF for August fell to 17.8 per cent from 60.4 per cent in August 2004. KPCL's PLF for April-August fell to 61.5 per cent from 79.8 per cent earlier.

KPCL's overall thermal generation fell to 77 per cent of last year's levels, largely on account of the August generation plummeting to 29.5 per cent of August 2004 levels.

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