Hyderabad: Reliance Power has decided to relocate its 2,400 MW gas-based power plant at Samalkot in East Godavari district to Bangladesh.
According to company officials, the plant machinery will be shifted from Samalkot in about six months. The Samalkot plant is the biggest gas-based power plant in India.
Eight gas turbines with a combined capacity of 1,600 MW were installed in 2012 on the assurance of the Union power ministry that 9.6 mmscmd of gas per unit will be supplied per day from the Krishna-Godavari basin.
The plant was ready for commissioning, but non-availability of gas dashed hopes of power generation.
Reliance Power and the Bangladesh Power Development Board signed a memorandum of understanding during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Dhaka to develop a 3,000-mw liquefied natural gas -based combined cycle power project and floating LNG terminal in Bangladesh. The total investment for the project is $3billion.
The Rs 10,000 crore gas-based combined cycle power project at Samalkot was installed in 2011-12 for which world-class equipment, including advanced class 9FA machines were procured from internationally-reputed firms.
“These are readily available with us and we will use them in the proposed project at Bangladesh, under appropriate guarantees from GE and the other equipment suppliers. This will help set up the (Bangladesh) project on a fast-track basis,” Daljeet Singh, Reliance Power head of corporation communications told Deccan Chronicle from Navi Mumbai.
“We waited for four years for gas. It is not advisable for a merchant power plant to continue like that for years together,” Mr Singh said.
According to AP Transco officials, Reliance had earlier thought of keeping 800 MW here and shift equipment for generation of 1,600 MW to Bangladesh. But now that plan appears to have been shelved.
“This is a disappointing development since Samalkot is a big plant. Had it continued, it would have been of immense help. Its proximity to the K-G basin would also have been a plus point. All this will go now,” an official.
