Tangedco takes up feasibility study for setting up gas turbine stations in north Chennai

The proposal is to take advantage of the natural gas pipeline infrastructure facility available at Ennore; the study involves setting up power plants of the capacity of 18 to 20 MW

Tangedco has initiated a feasibility study to set up gas turbine power stations in north Chennai to generate 2,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity. The proposal to set up gas turbine stations was to make use of the natural gas pipeline infrastructure available from Ennore to Thoothukudi. The study is being taken up in the wake of Electricity Minister V. Senthilbalaji’s announcement in the Assembly in this regard.

A senior official of Tangedco said though the cost of gas was high at present, the power utility proposed to set up gas-based plants as part of its plans to generate clean energy. It will be making use of the vacant space where the old thermal stations were housed in Ennore along with the gas pipeline infrastructure facility of Indian Oil.

The senior official said the study involves setting up small gas engine power plants of the capacity of 18 MW to 20 MW for a total capacity of 2,000 MW.

Tangedco has appointed a consultant for the feasibility study based on which a detailed project report (DPR) would be readied.

Even while the engineering consultant was involved in conducting the feasibility study for setting up new gas power plants, the consultant will cover the technicalities of re-engineering the Basin Bridge gas project which has remained shut due to raw material, which turned expensive.

Tangedco, which has a gas turbine power station at Basin Bridge with a capacity of 120 MW, is planning to re-engineer the power station with Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) whereby power could be generated at a reduced variable cost.

The Basin Bridge station has four gas turbine stations of 30 MW each with naphtha being the primary material for generating electricity.