CLP India has requested the Centre for increasing gas supply to its 655 MW combined cycle power plant located at Paguthan in Bharuch, Gujarat. In a letter to the petroleum ministry, the Company stated that there has been a very sharp decline in availability of contracted gas for the plant. Due to this, the plant has remained shut for most of the period and is only running as a peaking station for few hours a week. The PLF of the plant has dropped to an all-time low of about 5 per cent during last 3 months.
The company further added that despite of such low gas supplies, the company has to face the payment of related infrastructure costs such as gas transmission charges, which is further aggravating the company’s ability to manage the business environment.
CLP India mentioned that presently the overall gas supplies to power sector continue to be about 25 per cent of domestic supplies and this being given to limited number of power plants, while others including CLP continue to receive almost no gas. In view of this, the company requested the ministry to treat it at par with power plants that are receiving gas and increase the allocation to bring the company at parity to those generators.
It also requested the ministry to suitably consider the Paguthan project to provide equitable supplies as and when such additional allocation materializes.
The Paguthan combined cycle power plant was the first project by CLP India, which was earlier known as Gujarat Paguthan Energy Corporation. The project was commissioned in February 1999. The plant is selling its entire output to Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited under a 20 years Power Purchase Agreement.
