AGARTALA, Sept 19 - ONGC Tripura Power Project (OTPC) is contemplating to increase its power generation capacity from 550 MW to 726 MW by next year, official sources said.
Although two units of OTPC are supposed to produce 726 MW power, the units could not achieve the installed capacity due to shortage of gas. In the recently concluded OTPC board meeting, it was conveyed that the ONGC will supply more gas so that OTPC plant at Palatana could produce power as per installed capacity.
The meeting on Saturday, chaired by ONGC Director (Technical and Field Services) Shashi Shankar, was conveyed that the ONGC would increase supply of gas by March 2017 if everything went well. Currently, the ONGC supplies 2.5 MMSCMD gas to the OTPC to operate its two units at Palatana plant per day to produce 550/560 MW.
�If the ONGC increases gas supply, the two units of Palatana will be able to generate 726 MW power by March 2017. However, exploration is a kind of unpredictable thing. But the ONGC is leaving no stone unturned to increase gas supply to the OTPC as well as to the NEEPCO�, OTPC Managing Director Satyajit Ganguly said over telephone from Delhi on Monday.
If OTPC�s power generation capacity is increased, entire North East will be benefited as almost all NE States are receiving power from Palatana combine cycle power plant in Tripura.
As per the schedule, the ONGC is supposed to provide gas to NEEPCO for its Manarchak power plant by December. Now, NEEPCO is waiting to receive gas so that it could operate the much-delayed power plant. Ganguly said the OTPC would ensure full-flow power not only for Tripura but the entire Northeastern region during the coming puja festival.
During OTPC�s board meeting, it was also informed that it had already done routine operational maintenance works keeping in mind the ensuing Durga puja.
�We have taken all out efforts to ensure full-flow supply of electricity to Tripura and Northeastern region so that the people could enjoy puja without any load shedding�, he said.
