Kathalguri power project marked 'excellent'

GUWAHATI, Feb 28 ? The Kathalguri gas based power project of the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) has become the first power station of the North-eastern region to be declared as the centre of excellence by the Government of India. NEEPCO sources said that the installed capacity of the power plant is 291 mw, consisting of six gas turbine units each of 33.5 MW and three steam turbine units each of 30 mw capacity. The gas turbines were commissioned in 1995-96, while, the commercial operation of the steam turbines started on April, 1 1999. NEEPCO sources said that in February this year, the project logged record generation of 309 mw, which was much higher than the installed capacity. This has been made possible because of the maintenance practice adopted. Sources revealed that the Kathalguri project generated 1106.67 million kwhrs of power in 1999-2000, 1233.4 million kwhrs in 2000-2001 and 1046.9 million kwhrs upto January in the present financial year. At present, the evacuation of power is due by the 220 KV Kathalguri-Mariani and Kathalguri-Misa-Balipara-Bongaigaon transmission lines. The benefits derived by Assam and Arunachal Pradesh will go up after the commissioning of the 220 KV Kathalguri-Tinsukia and Kathalguri-Deomali lines. NEEPCO sources said that Assam gets more than 50 per cent of the total generation of the project at a price of 225 paise per kwhr. NEEPCO sources said that the project has excellent record in pollution control and environment protection due to the maximum utilisation of gas because of the combined cycle operation.