Mumbai: Ratnagiri Gas and Power Pvt Ltd (RGPPL) will double generation at the Dabhol power plant to over 1,200MW by the first week of October. The move will ease the severe power crisis being faced in Maharashtra, its chairman RK Goel, who is also GAIL director (finance), said.

Ratnagiri Gas & Power on Friday said the steam turbine of power block III will be put on stream, generating another 600-620 MW of power. This will bring current output to around 1,240 MW.

One gas turbine each of power block I and II are expected to be revived by the end of the year, when all the six gas turbines and three steam turbines would go on stream.

At full capacity the two power blocks should generate nearly 1,900 MW of power from April next year, RGPPL chairman RK Goel told the annual general meeting of the company.

''The LNG terminal without breakwater would be operational soon,'' RGPPL said in a release.

Goel said all the major marine-related contracts, except breakwater and capital dredging, have been awarded and the company is targeting to commission the LNG terminal in the early part of 2009.

Goel said sourcing of LNG and execution of a long-term fuel supply agreement remained a matter of concern, adding, efforts for a long-term tie-up are being made through GAIL and Petronet LNG.

The project is also facing funding problems because of differences between the lenders and the RGPPL over the sharing of additional cost. Lenders also refused to dole out additional funds following rise in the revival cost.

Ratnagiri Power, previously Dabhol Power Project, was set up to generate 2,150 MW of power. The project recently saw frequent tripping of GE supplied turbines and rotars affecting the power generation.

Ratnagari Gas and Power Project Ltd is an equal joint venture of state-owned gas utility GAIL and power generation company NTPC that owns the Dabhol power plant.