Ratnagiri Gas and Power
Ratnagiri Gas and Power Private Limited (RGPPL) is a joint venture of NTPC Limited, GAIL, Government of Maharashtra. The company was established to take over and revive the assets of the defunct Dabhol Power Company. RGPPL owns one of India's largest and only LNG based power plants and the LNG regasification terminal at Dabhol.[1]
| Joint venture | |
| Industry | Energy |
| Predecessor | Enron |
| Founded | 8 July 2005 |
| Headquarters | Anjanvel, , |
| Services | Power generation and LNG regasification |
| Parent | NTPC GAIL |
| Website | www |
| Ratnagiri Gas and Power Private Limited | |
|---|---|
Location of the Ratnagiri Gas and Power Private Limited in Maharashtra | |
| Country | India |
| Location | Ratnagiri, Maharashtra. |
| Coordinates | 17°33′42″N 73°09′44″E |
| Status | Operational |
| Owner(s) | NTPC GAIL |
| Thermal power station | |
| Primary fuel | Natural gas |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 3 |
| Nameplate capacity | 1,967 MW |
History
The Ratnagiri gas and power company was made by the Government of Maharashtra and Government of India in 2005 to rescue the controversial and nearly defunct Dabhol power company, a gas powered electricity provider owned by Enron corporation. In 1992, Enron corporation inked a deal to build a gas powered power station at Dabhol, from which the government of Maharashtra would purchase electricity for 20 years. The project remained controversial from the beginning, mostly due to the high cost of electricity (more than 2,000 times what the government was paying per unit for hydro electricity) and corruption at the highest levels.[2] Despite protests, the project was built and began producing electricity in 1998. The Godbole committee report in 2001 presented a scathing criticism of the project and its terms.[3] The plant stopped production in 2001 when the government could not pay for its electricity costs. In 2002, Enron became bankrupt.[4] In 2005, the plant was taken over by the Government of Maharashtra.[5]
The company was established on 8 July 2005, with GAIL and NTPC each holding just over 25.51% of its equity. The Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) and financial institutions hold the remaining stock.
RGPPL has operationalised the 5 million tonnes per year LNG Block (Commissioning cargo ‘LNG Pioneer’). The vessel carrying 1,38,000 cubic meters of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) docked at the jetty brought back the memories of the Enron’s aborted Dabhol Power Companys (DPC) power project. The DPC project was later taken over by the Central Government which renamed it as RGPPL which began operations in May 2006. The RGPPL successfully began re-gasification process of the LNG thereby making the LNG jetty free to be used for regular berthing and unloading of LNG cargo. Its three power blocks supply a combined 1967 MW of electricity to India's western grid.[6]
Capacity
| Block | Unit Number | Installed Capacity (MW) | GT / ST |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | 640 | ST |
| 2nd | 2 | 663.5 | ST |
| 3rd | 3 | 663.5 | ST |
| Total | Three | 1967 MW |
See also
References
- Bhushan, Ranjit (30 April 2001). "Godbole committee report and The Real Story Of Dabhol" (May 2001). Outlook India. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- US Government Minority Staff Committee on Government Reform. "FACT SHEET - Background on Enron's Dabhol Power Project (22 February 2002)" (PDF). U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
- Pune, Prayas (9 June 2001). "Godbole Committee on Enron Project: Expose and Way Out". Economic and Political Weekly. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
- Madhav Godbole committee report on irregulatiries in the Enron Dabhol power project. Mumbai: Government of Maharashtra. 10 April 2001. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
- Mehta, Abhay (2000). Power Play: A Study of the Enron Project. Mumbai: Orient Blackswan. ISBN 9788125017455.
- Administrator. "RGPPL". Retrieved 20 April 2015.