The Ministry of Environment and Forest has rejected GVK Group's request for using high speed diesel (HSD) instead of natural gas at one of its power generation plants in Andhra Pradesh.

The Expert Appraisal Committee of MoEF, while rejecting the GVK Group’s request, advised it to submit an application which will be forwarded to the Ministry of Power and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas for their views.

“The committee, however, rejected the request for substitution of naphtha by HSD and decided that the project proponent may submit its request, which can be forwarded to Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Ministry of Power for their views,” the MoEF Committee said.

GVK officials were not available for comments.

The company had requested the MoEF to use HSD for Jegurupadu-390 MW (Phase-II) gas-based combined cycle power project in the state, as gas supplies from Reliance D-6 in KG-Basin continue to dwindle.

In November 2000, the MoEF had accorded permission to GVK to use naphtha up to 500 tonnes per day for power generation till the company obtains full quantity of natural gas to operate the plant on 100 per cent natural gas. Recently, GVK made a request with MoEF to use HSD in the place of naphtha.