AGARTALA, Nov 29 (TIWN): With some unavoidable glitches from ONGC since Friday, ONGC is yet successful in generating about 50 MW of power on Saturday, says NEEPCO GM SR Biswas.Talking to TIWN correspondent, NEEPCO GM SR Biswas said that though there were some technical glitches in the initial stages of the power production but with gradual development of the power supply from ONGC Monarchak succeeded in generating 47 MW of power on Saturday.Powered by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), Tripura's 101 MW gas-based Monarchak power plant was completely shut down due to lack of supply of gas from ONGC. Unable to get the required supply of gas from ONGC, Monarchak has faced a daily loss of Rs 17lakh which monthly stands at around 5 crore.Since October 16, ONGC has stopped gas supply, resulting, the complete shutdown of power generation at Monarchak.

A loss of about Rs 17lakh is reported on a daily basis due to the cut down of supply of gas from ONGC.After months of technical glitch and interruptions, ONGC began the gas supply to 101MW Monarchak plant from Friday.

In such irregular and unstable situation of power generation where Monarchak power plant was shut down for months due to cut down of gas from ONGC, question prevails how long ONGC will be able to continue gas supply to Monarchak.Although ONGC began 0.40 mmscmd unit of gas supply to NEEPCO’s 101 MW Monarchak plant from Friday, but there is no assurance how long ONGC will continue gas supply, added NEEPCO Project Head S R Biswas to TIWN.

NEEPCO wanted 0.5 MSCMPD gas but ONGC is able to supply only 0.2 to 0.3 MSCMPD due to technical problems; there are frequent interruptions also and ONGC will be able to supply 0.5 MSCMPD gas by the middle of 2016.

It is to be mentioned here that if everything goes well Monarchak will be able to generate 50 MW unit of power. Powered by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), Tripura's 101 MW gas-based Monarchak power plant has begin its power generation on a regular basis.

Failure on the part of authorities concerned to ensure adequate and regular supply of gas as well as technical glitches have led to an inordinate delay in the commissioning of the state-run NEEPCO's second biggest thermal power project in Northeast India and resulted in huge losses to it.

The ONGC, after many negotiations and meetings, decided to supply gas to the power plant from Friday.
The foundation stone of the Monarchak power project was laid during the previous National Democratic Alliance government in March 2002 and the Tripura government allotted the required land to NEEPCO in 2003.