A delegation of Shell, GAIL and GDF Suez met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chanadrababu Naidu on Tuesday and discussed implementation issues relating to expediting the Kakinada LNG terminal.
The Chief Minister directed officials of concerned departments including those in infrastructure to expedite the support facilities for setting up the LNG terminal, which is seen to be a big relief for the stalled gas-starved power projects in the State.
Shell’s stakeThe Andhra Pradesh Government had recently approved a proposal to offer 26 per cent stake to Royal Dutch Shell in the Kakinada project, in which AP Government-promoted AP Gas Infrastructure Corporation, GAIL and GDF Suez have come together.
The State Government inducted Shell in the consortium with a view to strengthen the project. Following these changes, the Government is keen to expedite the LNG storage and processing project that is expected to generate about 2,000 mw of power.
The State Government had in recent Cabinet meetings cleared the proposals of two LNG terminals in the State. The other one is expected to come up at Gangavaram Port. With the State’s several gas-based power projects starved for natural gas supply, it is banking on these LNG terminals to facilitate running of these plants.
Plants of GVK, GMR, Lanco and Reliance ADAG among others are impacted by inadequate supply of gas from the KG Basin.