The Central Electricity Authority has given 'in-principle clearance' for the expansion of the gas-based combined cycle power project of GVK Industries Ltd at Jegurupadu through the addition of another 240 mega watts (mw) at a cost of Rs 750 crore.
The proposed expansion, to be completed by end-1999 envisages setting up of one gas turbine along with one waste-heat recovery boiler and one steam turbo generator of suitably capacity.
Though naptha will be the principal fuel for the expanded capacity, the equipment will be designed to function on natural gas as well or a combination of naptha and natural gas.
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Jegurupadu is located in the East Godavari district, almost next door to the Godavari-Krishna oil basin where the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has set up working wells to extract natural gas as well as crude. ONGC has stepped up exploratory work in the Godavari-Krishna basin.
Jegurupadu is one of the seven fast-track private sector power projects cleared by the Centre in the wake of the liberalisation of the sector.
It is the first private sector power project to go operational, the second one being a similar gas-based combined cycle project at Kakinada, which is being put up by the Spectrum group.
Originally, the Jegurupadu project was cleared for 400 mw, to be executed in two phases.
The first phase, now under implementation at a cost of Rs 816 crore