GMR's Vemagiri power plant plans January 2008 operations

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad-based GMR Infrastructure Ltd has announced that its Vemagiri power plant in Rajahmundry district in the state of Andhra Pradesh will start generating power from January 2008 onwards, initially for a period of four months. This will be possible if the state government acts on its assurance to provide the plant 1.12 - 1.15 million cu. m. of natural gas per day from Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL).

The 388.5 MW Vemagiri plant, which was commissioned in November 2006, works with combined cycle technology, and uses natural gas as fuel. Under the power purchase agreement it has signed with APTRANSCO, Vemagiri Power Generation Ltd must supply power to the power distributor for a period of 23 years.

According to a GMR senior manager, "The Andhra Pradesh government has conveyed its willingness to supply gas to our Vemagiri project from January, 2008. The plant has not been operational for about a year now, due to the non-availability of fuel. This is a very positive development and a win-win situation for both, the people of Andhra Pradesh as well as our company."

The Vemagiri power plant is the largest amongst the three operational plants of GMR Energy. Its other power projects are:

•  200 MW LSHS-fired power plant in Chennai which commenced commercial operations in 1999
• 220 MW Naphtha - fired power plant in Mangalore which commenced commercial operations in 2001
•  140 MW hydroelectric power plant on the river Alaknanda in Uttaranchal
•  1050 MW coal based power plant in the Angul / Dhenkanal districts of Orissa
•  160 MW hydroelectric power project in Tallong district in Arunachal Pradesh
•  1000 MW coal based thermal power project in Chattisgarh
•  180 MW project on river Ravi in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh.