Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy urged the Central government to allocate gas on a priority basis to gas-based power projects in the state.
The chief minister called up Union defence minister AK Antony, who also heads the Empowered Group of Ministers on Gas allocation, and Union petroleum and natural gas minister Veerappa Moily and urged them to allocate gas to the state. The EGoM is scheduled to meet on Wednesday.
The chief minister emphasised the need to consider the case of Andhra Pradesh as special. AP gas-based power plants had been set up based on firm allocation of gas from K-G Basin. The gas linkage committee had originally allocated 12.97 million metric standard cubic metres per day (mmscmd) to the eight power projects and Vijjeshwaram joint venture in the state, the chief minister told the Union ministers.
The EGoM allocated 6.82 mmscmd of gas to long-term PPA projects and 2.34 mmscmd to merchant plants, totaling 9.16 mmscmd at 75 percent PLF.