Leaving behind the scars of the devastating gas pipeline blast at Nagaram in Mamidikuduru mandal, the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) has almost completed the laying of new pipelines. Only a gap of three-km out of 100-km of the pipeline network remains to be laid as on Saturday.
All private power plants in East Godavari district were shut down and GVK Power has even entered into an agreement with the government to sell one of its plant at Jegurupadu near Rajamahendravaram in the aftermath of the blast that killed 19 and seriously injured 19 others on June 27, 2014.
The plants that were idle due to non-availability of gas were GMR’s Vemagiri (850 MW), GVK’s Jegurupadu Extension (440 MW) and Gauthami (250 MW), Konaseema Gas Power (750 MW) Reliance (450 MW) and Spectrum (450 MW), Spectrum Power Generation Limited, Kakinada (1350 MW in three stages) Gauthami (464 MW), Konaseema Gas Power (445) and Lanco’s Kondapalli Stage-II (366 MW) and APGPCL 172 MWs after the blast.
“Now, almost all plants are operational and we completed our task of laying pipeline and providing the connectivity. We informed all our stakeholders much in advance that they can start production any time,” said M.V. Iyer, General Manager (Operations and Maintenance), GAIL (Rajamahendravaram Region).
According to him, except for Tatipaka and Endamuru, near Kakinada, the pipeline on the entire stretch has either been repaired or restored.
Of the 870-km. pipeline in the entire KG Basin area, lines spanning over 640-km. have been put to service, resuming the gas supply to small and medium stakeholders, except Reliance Infra, which expressed its inability to take gas through GAIL pipeline as it will get only 0.3 MMSCMD on pro-rata distribution along with all other stake holders.
The Maharatna company hitherto supplied 5.20 million metric standard cubic metres per day (MMSCMD) to its customers. It is now able to give 4.48 MMSCMD.
“At present, we are supplying gas to all small units, including some power plants. NFCL at Kakinada needs higher pressure which we have started supplying too,” he said.
Post the devastating gas pipeline explosion, only 3 km out of the 100 km of new pipeline network remains to be laid