DMIC states asked to mull options to 5 gas-fired plants

The Centre has asked three states along the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) to consider using

land allotted for five gas-based power plants to set up “industrial areas” or renewable energy projects

following the non-availability of gas.

The gas-fired projects, each with capacity of 1,000-1,200 MW, were to come up in Madhya Pradesh,

Maharashtra and Gujarat as part of the corridor.

According to an official note accessed by The Hindu, “the structuring and implementation of these

projects is pending since long due to the lack of availability of domestic gas. Hence, the project(s)

seem(s) to have become non-viable.”

The Centre and the DMIC Development Corporation (DMICDC) — the nodal agency for implementation

of the DMIC — have therefore suggested that the three states and the government-owned NTPC

(working on some of these projects) explore alternate uses for the land after obtaining the necessary

approvals.

Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy Minister Piyush Goyal had informed the Lok Sabha in May

that gas-based generating projects in the country were facing a deficit in the availability of domestic gas

and most of the gas-based power plants were operating at a very low Plant Load Factor.

The gas-based power projects in the DMIC were to come up at Indapur in Pune (Maharashtra), Ville

Bhagad in Raigad (Maharashtra), Vaghel in Patan (Gujarat), Rajpur-Shahpur in Mehsana (Gujarat) and

Chainpura Industrial Area in Guna District (Madhya Pradesh). A sixth project had also been proposed but

that plan was scrapped due to non-availability of gas, official sources said.

Fuelgarden to FEED LNG Bunkering in UK

Norway-based LNG designer Fuelgarden Energy, an independent LNG specialist offering lower-cost fuel

solutions, has been awarded a Front-End Engineering & Design (FEED) contract on a multi-purpose LNG

plant to be established in the UK. The LNG plant will supply LNG as ship bunkers to LNG-fuelled vessels

operating in UK waters, and provide natural gas for heating purposes at a newbuild factory.

Dag Lilletvedt, founder and CEO of Fuelgarden, explains this will be the first time such a multi-purpose

small-scale LNG regasification and LNG bunkering plant is being built in the UK. The LNG plant shall be

ready for operations in the beginning of 2018.

“As an LNG designer with specialization in off-grid energy solutions we are we are very pleased to have

been awarded this FEED contract in the UK,” said Lilletvedt. “Industrial companies as well as shipping

companies are constantly looking for ways to reduce their fuel bills as well as their emissions. Through

our engineering capabilities and small-scale LNG expertise we are able to combine the needs of an

industrial plant for gas with ships requiring LNG as fuel”.

Fuelgarden has been awarded the FEED contract by a major international industrial company. Due to

confidentiality reasons the name of the customer and location for the installation will not be revealed at

this time.

Fuelgarden’s aim is to enable off-grid energy consumers to reduce fuel costs, reduce infrastructure

complexities, and reduce emissions.

NGS INDIA