September 08, 2008

Uttarakhand to explore gas based projects

It is reported that Uttarakhand government is planning to tap alternative sources of energy, particularly the gas based sector, to meet the growing power demand. For this purpose, the government has already roped in Gas Authority of India Limited to jointly examine various project opportunities for natural gas and undertake extension of the National Gas Grid to Uttarakhand.

Official sources said that a possible pact with other private players like Reliance Industries is also being explored. After the declaration of state's new hill industrial policy in 2008, power demand in the state, which is around 20 to 22 million units, is likely to increase by 17% to 20% annually as industries continue to set up new units in the state.

State Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited, which has developed several modern industrial estates, has signed a MoU with GAIL to give a fillip to gas based energy projects. And now, a feasibility report is being prepared on the gas-based projects. An assessment exercise for natural gas and allied products is also being conducted in the state.

Sources said that GAIL's existing Hazira Bijaipur Jagdishpur trunk pipeline networks in Uttar Pradesh and its nearest tapping point is at Bareilly from where clean fuel could be made available to Uttarakhand via two routes. It added that the first route will lay a pipeline network to Rudrapur, Ramnagar and Haldwani from Bareilly while, the other route would be an extension of gas pipeline from Dadri.