Gas pipeline delay hits Dabhol plant restart

Mumbai: Restarting of Dabhol power plant on natural gas has hit another roadblock with the construction of gas pipeline being further delayed. The Gujarat Government has asked GAIL India Ltd to suspend work on the 12-km section of the pipeline, which passes through the Surat district.

If the Dahej (Gujarat)-Uran (Maharashtra) section of the pipeline is further delayed, then Maharashtra stands to lose 700 MW of power by June from Dabhol plant.

Maharashtra is reeling under extreme power shortage of 4,500 MW and it is heavily banking upon the restating of the Dabhol plant. If the plant runs smoothly on natural gas and pumps out 2,100 MW by December, then Maharashtra would be able reduce its peak power shortage by 40 per cent in 2008 summer. The Energy Minister of Maharashtra, Mr Dilip Walse Patil, told presspersons on Monday that the state could be forced from July to spend Rs 400 crore per month on naphtha for running the plant if gas is not available due to pipeline delay.

Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd will also be forced to buy more power from other states, he said.

Mr Patil said local people in Surat district had opposed the construction of the pipeline. Following this, the 12-km patch had been rerouted, yet there is opposition.

'For the past 30 years gas from Bombay High is being supplied to Gujarat. A major section of the upcoming Kakinada-Ahmedabad gas pipeline would be passing through Maharashtra. Yet Maharashtra has never raised any contentious issues with Gujarat. We want an amicable settlement of the present problem,' Mr Patil said.

Mr Patil said the State Government is trying its best to sort out the problem.