AGARTALA, January 27 (TIWN): Stressing upon the hard work of the Oil & Natural gas Corporation (ONGC) for the much delayed Monarchak Power Plant, the NEEPCO head S R Biswas said that the Monarchak is now awaiting for the gas supply of the ONGC with everything all set to start its commissioning by March 2015. “If the ONGC ensures gas by January 31st, the Monarchak power plant will be put on commercial operation by March”, said Biswas to TIWN.ONGC is now conducting hydro-electric testing in the pipelines for the charge of gas by the end of this month, said ONGC Asset Manager V P Mahawar to TIWN.

Talking to TIWN the NEEPCO head S R Biswas said that as per the official declaration the ONGC is likely to supply its first phase gas by the end of this month. “If ONGC gives us gas by the end of this month than we can start our turbines by the end of March”, said NEEPCO Head Biswas.

He further added that once the Monarchak gets a gas from the ONGC than it will start its commissioning activities for 65 MW power generations in its first phase. In the first phase Monarchak power plant will commission 65 MW of power by its gas based turbine. “Later it will take another 2 to 3 months for the Monarchak to produce 100 MW by its steam turbine with the addition power of 35 MW”, said Biswas.

Beside, talking to TIWN ONGC Asset Manager V P Mahawar said that the ONGC will start charging gas to Monarchak by the end of this month. “Recently we are conducting hydro electric tests in the pipelines where the water is being put for the pipe clearance, which we call pigging”, said Mahawar. Adding to that he said the pigging operation will take another 3 to 4 days and then the ONGC will start charging gas through the pipelines.

On sideline of another issue Mahawar said that some machineries loaded truck which were supposed to arrive here by-pass road for the gas supply to Monarchak has reached at Churaibari .

A truck carrying those equipments had turned over at Assam near Kokrajhar due to which it got delayed to reach here in Tripura.  

Putting stress on no further disturbance on the gas pipeline that once occurred while supplying gas to the OTPC, Mahawar said that one cyclone separator has been ordered which costs Rs. 1.2 crore, and it has already been dispatched from Delhi.

Besides, gas filter had already been installed at Monarchak power Plant. And later the separator machine will be installed, said Mahawar.

He said that the ONGC has learnt its experiences once after the disturbance found in the gas pipeline connecting to OTPC, therefore the ONGC now do not want to take any further chance of such disturbances, due to which the ONGC has now taken several preventive measures, said ONGC Asset Manager V.P Mahawar.