HYDERABAD: The Union petroleum ministry has approved the proposal for allotment of regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) to the AP Transmission Corporation.
The energy department is contemplating to utilise the gas for generating power and supply it to small scale industries. According to an official press release, agreements have to be signed between RIL and GAIL to this effect and talks were going on in this regard.
It may be recalled that APTransco, which coordinates power supply among the four state-owned distribution companies (discoms), has been negotiating with the petroleum ministry and GAIL to bring RLNG to ensure gas-based power projects generate at full capacity during the summer months.
Energy department principal secretary Dinesh Kumar in a teleconference on Friday reviewed the power supply position in the state with senior officials and instructed them to follow-up with petroleum ministry to expedite the process of signing the agreements.
APTransco officials informed him that the power deficit is mainly due to reduced production of gas in the KG Basin. The nine gas-based projects with an installed capacity of 2,772 MW were currently generating only 1,500 MW due to supply of only 49 percent of the gas required.
Hydel generation this year so far has been only 5,837 MU as against 7,048 MU last year. The total water availability in major reservoirs of Srisailam, Nagarjuna Sagar and Sileru is 90 TMC at present as against 341 TMC last year during the corresponding period, thereby resulting in a deficit of around 1,195 MU.
Dinesh Kumar said that chief minister N.Kiran Kumar Reddy is particular that farmers should not lose their standing crop due to power failure and that seven hours of supply to agriculture must be maintained at any cost.