IRAL to use MIG engines for power generation

Plans power plant in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, to promote the technology

Nashik-based Indo-Russian Aerospace Ltd (IRAL) will set up a power gentration plant that will use old MIG-21 engines as turbines.The plant will come up in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh (UP), and will use gas as fuel.

"There are about 500 MIG engines in the country. This was first proposed in July last year but no entrepreneur came forward to invest, perhaps they were not confident that it would work," said CEO R K Bharati.

The plant will be operational by mid-2007 and will generate around 2.5 megawatt (MW). Once we accomplish this, entrepreneurs will surely come forward to invest in this technology, he added.

"This technology offers good opportunity to local self government bodies or co-operative institutions to have their own power plant and supply uninterrupted power to their areas. A 2-MW plant can be set up using this technology in just Rs 6 crore," he said.

"The technology is also useful for industries which want to have their captive power plant using LPG as fuel. Traditional captive power plants use diesel which increases the cost by Rs 10 to Rs 12 per unit. This technology with LPG as fuel produces power at Rs 7 to 7.5 per unit," Bharati claimed.