Bawana Power Plant ‘ready’ to generate 1500 mega watts

The largest gas plant in North India, and second largest in the country, the Bawana power plant was able to produce only up to 350 MW for the city of Delhi, due to the non-availability of gas.

However, the reasons for these shortages can be directed towards Reliance Industries Limited’s inability to supply sufficient gas to the plant. Delhi government had constructed the Bawana plant at a cost of Rs 4,500 Crore in 2012. From the past several months it has completely shut down and has not produced a single mega watt of power because Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has not supplied gas to the plant.

From the very beginning RIL has been supplying only about 0.836 million metric standard cubic metres per day (mmscmd) gas on a daily basis. The plant needs 2.8 mmscmd of gas to generate 750 MW of electricity.

The principal secretary (Power), Arun Goyal on Thursday visited the plant and reviewed its summer readiness.

He was accompanied by the MD of Pragati Power Corporation Ltd (PPCL) and additional secretary (Power) Ankur Garg and district magistrate (North-West) Udit Prakash Rai.

The team of senior officers from PPCL made a detailed presentation on the progress of on-going works and apprised the visiting dignitaries on various factors such as availability of gas and preparedness of the plant for meeting the power requirements of Delhi during the ensuing summer months.

The functioning of both the modules of gas and steam turbines was inspected through detailed site visits.

The plant consists of a total of six units, four gas units and two steam turbines. The work for this power project was awarded to M/s BHEL on turnkey basis.