Foundation stone for the project was laid by Uttarakhand CM Khanduri.
The Rs 1250 crore gas-based project at Kashipur in Kumaon region, a joint venture of UJVN and Gail, is expected to be completed by 2014-15, said top officials.
The foundation stone for the project was laid by Uttarakhand chief minister B C Khanduri at a function in Kashipur on Thursday.
The state cabinet had on October 29 approved a proposal of the UJVN Ltd, the state-run hydropower company which is venturing into gas-based power sector, to form joint venture with Gail to set up two power plants in Uttarakhand.
Speaking on the occasion, Khanduri said the gas-based power project would be able to meet the growing energy shortfall especially after a couple of hydel projects were scrapped by the Centre.
In June this year, UJVN had signed an MoU with Gail to set up the two gas-based power plants of 350-500 Mw each. A total of Rs 2500 crore is proposed in the two power plants at Kashipur and Haridwar towns.
“We understand that the Kashipur plant’s total capacity should be around 360 Mw,” said UJVN managing director G P Patel. For setting up the kashipur plant, 50 acres of land had already been allotted by the government, Patel said adding the project is expected to be completed by 2014-15.
“The Kashipur project will give us peaking power and also act as a base-load to meet the power demand of the state. Our government has taken a very good step to venture into gas-based power,” said B C K Mishra, director operation of UJVN.
The majority of the power from these power plants would be sold to Uttarakhand through a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA).
Meanwhile, Gail has already started tests for its Karanpur–Moradabad–Kashipur –Rudrapur/Pant Nagar Natural Gas Pipeline which will be of 182 km in length. The estimated investment on the project by Gail is Rs 250 crore. The design capacity of the pipeline will be 2.5 MMSCMD.
The pipeline will supply gas to upcoming power plant in Kashipur in
Uttarakhand and to other industrial customers in Moradabad, Kashipur and Rudrapur and for city gas distribution in Moradabad.
Similarly, Gail is also bringing another pipeline from Saharanpur to Haridwar.
