A delay in creating requisite gas transportation infrastructure by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation is holding up the commissioning of a 363.3-MW unit of ONGC Tripura Power Company (OTPC).

OTPC, which is setting up a 737-MW plant in the North-Eastern State, had commissioned the first unit of the project in January this year. At a little over ₹3 a unit (provisional generation tariff), OTPC sells the cheapest gas-based power in India-nearly ₹1 cheaper than the electricity generated by several new coal-based power plants of NTPC.

According to Manik De, power minister of Tripura, though the second unit was ready for operations some time, it could not be brought on stream due to non-availability of gas.

“ONGC may miss the August deadline for starting gas supply. We are now expecting the unit to start in September,” he said.

Transmission line Even if gas is available, the OTPC plant cannot run at full load, as the transmission line from Palatana in Tripura to the national grid at Bongaigaon in Assam, covering a distance of more than 600 km, is not ready.

This is due to inordinate delay on the part of the Assam Government in granting green clearance for two towers (out of a total of 1,831 towers).

According to sources, if the second unit comes on stream in September, nearly 80 per cent of the generation can be evacuated. This is against a prescribed load-factor of 95 per cent to break even.

Neepco unit According to De, the 101-MW gas-based facility of North Eastern Electric Corporation Ltd (Neepco) at Monarchak in Tripura is lying idle for delay on the part of ONGC in ensuring fuel supplies.

The two plants (OTPC and Neepco) were expected to be major revenue earners for Tripura through export of electricity.

De is not expecting the Neepco facility to be operational before December.

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