New Delhi, May 11: State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has allocated additional one million standard cubic meters per day of natural gas to Tripura for setting up a 280 mw combined cycle power plant. The decision to allocate additional gas to North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) for setting up a 280 MW power plant in North Tripura was taken at the 4th meeting of the high level monitoring committee on production and utilisation of natural gas in Tripura, chaired by Minister of State for Petroleum Santosh Gangwar here. ONGC, which has drilled over 100 wells in Tripura, is currently producing just over one-fourth of the potential 4.3 million standard cubic meters per day for lack of consumers in the state.

Sources said Tripura wanted a firm commitment from ONGC for supply of 2 million standard cubic meters per day of gas for 15 years which the state-owned oil firm turned down saying it normally gave supply commitments for 8 years only. Neepco's plea for gas for a 500 MW power plant was also shot down at the meeting as power secretary R V Shahi felt there weren't enough consumers for such a large power project.

It was decided that in the first phase NEEPCO would set up 280 mw power project that would be part-funded by Japanese Bank of International Cooperation. Subsequently, another 280 MW unit may be set up, they said.

On ONGC's ambitious gas-to-liquid project that aimed at monetising unused natural gas reserves in the state by converting it to liquid fuel, it was informed that two us firms have been shortlisted for providing technology for the project. Bureau Report