NTPC seeks gas from Qatar for its power plants

NTPC Ltd has requested the Ministry of Power to initiate talks at the government level to get liquefied natural gas from Qatar.

“We have initiated talks at the embassy level for getting around 1.3 million metric standard cubic metres per day (mmscmd) of gas for our power plants,” said Arup Roy Choudhury, chairman and managing director, NTPC.

“The Qatar government is interested in investing in our power plants. So if, in return for gas, they take some equity, we are exploring that opportunity,” Choudhury said.

NTPC currently has a portfolio of 4,000 mw of gas-based power plants and has firmed up plans to expand its projects by another 7,000 mw in the Twelfth Five-Year Plan.

However, the capacity addition for the transmission major’s gas-based power plants will depend on the gas allocation made by the empowered group of ministers (EGoM).

The EGoM has said that the present availability of gas in the country is around 143 mmscmd, which includes 60 mmscmd from the D6 block in the Krishna Godavari basin.

The EGoM said it expects an increase of 9 mmscmd from ONGC’s nominated marginal fields next fiscal.

After that, the next substantial increase is expected in 2012-13  — which is 20 mmscmd from the NELP fields and an equal amount from the D6 block.

NTPC at present has an installed capacity of over 32,694 mw through 28 power stations across the country.