Bawana power plant ready to generate 1500 MW

During peak summer, the power distribution companies have to bank heavily on power purchase from various generating units with Delhi government’s Bawana gas plant failing to produce electricity for several months now, due to unavailability of gas. After the inspection carried out by Delhi Governor Najeeb Jung, Delhi Chief Secretary Sanjay Kumar Srivastava and Delhi Power Principal Secretary Arun Goyal, there were assurances of taking up the issue of unavailability of cheap gas for the plant to produce electricity shortly.

Delhi government had constructed the Bawana plant at a cost of Rs 4,500 crore in 2012. But for the past several months it is completely shut, not producing a single Mega Watt Power, while it’s generating capacity is 1,500 MW, because of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) not providing the allocated supply of gas to the plant.

The officials posted with the Bawana power plant said, for base-load operation of all four gas turbines at the plant, 5.8 million metric standard cubic meter per day (MMSCMD) of gas allocation is required but only 1.564 MMSCMD of non administered pricing mechanism (APM) gas and 0.836 MMSCMD of Reliance Industries (RIL) Krishna Godavari (KG) basin gas has been allocated for the plant. Supply from RIL KG basin has stopped completely since March 2013.

The APM gas is cheaper and it can help in reduction of power tariff, but no AMP gas has been allocated to the plant. ‘It is a fact that technically the Bawana plant is in full readiness to generate its total capacity of 1500 MW a day,’ said a senior plant officer. Three power distribution companies (BSES Rajdhani Power Limited, BSES Yamuna Power Limited and Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited) have sought exemption from mandatory power purchase from Delhi power generating plants. Discoms have also asked for rationalisation of power cost and to close down Rajghat power stations, Indraprastha Power generation and three other units of Badarpur power plants due to high generation costs.

The peak demand of power touched about 4890 MW, while Delhi’s own generating units produced 912 MW. The rest of power has to be purchased from other pools. Discoms spokespersons said: ‘Power costs are normally about 80 % of the revenue, where tariffs are cost reflective, the costs of power generating units of Delhi have shown a dramatic rise.’