AGARTALA, January 6 (TIWN): The 101 megawatt gas-based thermal power project at Monarchak in Sipahijala, commissioned by NEEPCO, is ready for generation, but cannot be made operational due to non-supply of gas by ONGC, said S R Biswas, General Manager & Head of Project, NEEPCO.Taking to TIWN today S R Biswas, General Manager & Head of Project, NEEPCO said that the gas turbine of Monarchak Project was made ready in September 2013 for commissioning activities. It was put on record that after receipt of gas, North East Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) would require around two months to synchronise the gas turbine on an open cycle mode," S R Biswas, said. “We are hoping that within march The 101 megawatt gas-based thermal power project at Monarchak will be ready for commercial production”, said Biswas.The breach of contract by ONGC has made commissioning utterly uncertain, he added. Biswas added, "It is seen that ONGC, instead of taking needful action for commencing the suspended work, is more concerned with attempt to falsely prove that NEEPCO Project is not ready for taking gas."

Earlier, Asset Manager of Tripura unit of ONGC, V P Mahawar said that in the last week of January ONGC will provide gas to Monarchak.

S R Biswas, General Manager & Head of Project, NEEPCO earlier told that the ONGC's repeated dilly-dallying on supplying gas has delayed the corporation's second biggest thermal power project in northeast India and resulted in huge losses.

 "In view of the delayed commissioning of the environment-friendly power project, the corporation (under the union power ministry) has been incurring a loss of Rs 3.5 crore a month," S R Biswas said.

“This environment-friendly project had been mooted in 2000 with an installed capacity of 500MW power, but following ONGC’s inability to supply requisite gas the installed capacity of the Monarchakproject was reduced to 280MW in 2003-2004,” said S.R. Biswas, Neepco general manager (electrical).

“Out of 101MW of power to be produced, 62MW will be produced by a gas turbine while the remaining 39MW of power will be generated by a steam turbine,” Biswas said.

He added that Neepco, based in Shillong, is also planning to generate at least 1,500MW power from solar and wind energy in the next five years.  However, as no steps have been taken by ONGC to ensure gas supply from scheduled date, NEEPCO has knocked on petroleum ministry’s door for an early resolution of the matter.