State-controlled NTPC has frozen expansion of its gas-based projects due to non-availability of the fuel, according to a company official.
The latest move also comes against the backdrop of Power Ministry advising power producers not to plan any gas-based projects till 2015-16 on account of gas shortage.
"There is no gas ...so we have to halt the expansion of our gas-based projects -- Kayamkulam, Ramagundam, Kawas and Gandhar," an NTPC official told PTI today.
The company has to stop work at these plants, the official noted.
The move follows a sharp drop in output at what was supposed to India's largest gas field, KG-D6 of Reliance Industries. Production at KG-D6 has dropped 40 per cent in 2011 to about 35 million standard cubic meters per day and is likely to dip further.
The reduction, instead of a projected rise in output to 80 mmscmd from KG-D6 by now, has led to shortage of fuel with consumers including power generation units.
NTPC currently operates seven gas-based projects in the country -- 413 MW Anta (Rajasthan), 652 MW Auraiya (Uttar Pradesh), 645 MW Kawas (Gujarat), 817 MW Dadri (Uttar Pradesh), 648 MW Jhanor-Gandhar (Gujarat), 350 MW Kayamkulam (Kerala) and 430 MW Faridabad (Haryana)-- with a total capacity of 3,955 MW.
"We aimed for 70,000 MW (capacity) by 2017. There are so many problems, coal shortage, gas shortage..., we may scale down some capacity. Let's see," the official said.
With commissioning of the 500 MW unit of its joint ventuer Vallur thermal power project today, NTPC's total installed capacity has increased to 36,514 MW.
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