Palatana Power Proj to be inaugurated tomorrow
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, June 19 2013: President Pranab Mukherjee would be formally inaugurating the 726.6 MW gas-based power plant taken up by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) at Palatana in Tripura on June 21 .

The President will be arriving in Tripura tomorrow to inaugurate the power plant of which Manipur will be getting a share of 20 MW of power.

The President will also be attending the convocation function of the Tripura University and the National Institute of Technology.

The Rs 3,429 crore-project has been set up by ONGC through a special purpose vehicle, ONGC Tripura Power Company.

ONGC holds 50 percent stake in the company while Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Service Ltd (IL&FS) has 26%.Government of Tripura has 0.5% equity while the balance is yet to be tied-up.

The first unit of the 726.6 MW gas-based power plant has already started generating electricity and would be formally dedicated to the nation at a ceremony at Palatana, Tripura on June 21, official sources said.

While the first 363 MW unit was synchronised on October 2012, the second unit is expected to commence operation in August.

Palatana Power Proj to be inaugurated tomorrow

Sources said ONGC has built the project to monetise natural gas reserves it has discovered in Tripura.

These reserves are yet to be commercially developed due to low industrial demand in the North-Eastern region.

Power generated at the plant will be evacuated through a 400 kV Transmission system connecting Palatana (generation project site) in Tripura to Bongaigaon in Assam over a distance of around 650 kms.

Power plant together with the transmission line and gas field development cost about Rs 10,000 crore.

The power project, whose foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in October 2005, will help solve the power crisis of Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and Tripura.

With the State of Manipur all set to get a share of 20 MW of power from the plant, the present pathetic condition of electricity supply in the State is expected to be improved from the first week of July.

However, with the condition of the HT power lines in the State, which is use for transmission of power from other States remaining in bad shape, it is unlikely that the State will be able to get all the 20 MW power initially.

Yesterday, Chief Minister informed the State Assembly that the 400 KV Power Transmission Line extending from Jiribam to Imphal by the Power Grid Corporation would be completed very soon.

The State Government is also planning to take up this type of power transmission line along Imphal-Dimapur section.

Sources revealed that the cost of power generated under Thermal project would be high.

The State Government has to pay Rs 3.50 per unit.

And when the State Government provides power to the people it has to levy an extra amount of Rs 0.20 from what is being paid by the public presently.

The gas plant power project taken up in Tripura is to provide 24 hours interrupted power supply to its people and it is a dream of the Government of Manipur to take up a similar project.

If at all this type of power plant is taken up in Manipur, the State would not only be self sufficient in electricity for the next 20 years, but also help in generating revenue by sell electricity to other States.