PM Modi Kicks off Work on Gas-Based Power Plant

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi December 30 laid the foundation stone of a 50 MW gas-based power project at Hope Town on the island of Andaman in the Bay of Bengal.

The power plant will be built by NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam, a wholly-owned subsidiary of state-owned NTPC, at a cost of rupees 3.87bn ($56mn). The plant will take approximately 18 months to become operational, Businessline reported December 31 citing a statement by NTPC. In addition to natural gas, the power plant can also run on high speed diesel.

NTPC has already set up a 5 MW solar power plant at Andaman & Nicobar and is in the process of establishing another 25 MW solar power project with a battery back-up, the newspaper reported.