Plans for the first gas-based power plant on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are progressing, as the Andaman and Nicobar Pollution Control Committee requests feedback on the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environment Management Plans (EMP) for transporting Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to the site. Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) aims to supply regasified LNG to a 55 MW LNG-based power plant at Hope Town, Sri Vijaya Puram, in collaboration with NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited (NVVN).
The power plant, which has received Environmental Clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, is part of India’s efforts to shift towards cleaner energy sources and reduce reliance on diesel-based power generation in island territories. Initially planned as a dual-fuel plant, it has now been revised to operate solely on LNG to align with the government’s policy to decrease diesel usage in power generation on the islands.
The Ministries of Power and Petroleum and Natural Gas, along with the Ministry of Home Affairs, have designated IOCL to develop the LNG supply infrastructure for the power plant. The project, falling under Category ‘A’ of the Schedule to EIA Notification, 2006, requires central-level appraisal by the Expert Appraisal Committee of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
IOCL has received Terms of Reference (ToR) for the project and has conducted baseline environmental studies to prepare the EIA/EMP reports. The proposed Floating Storage and Re-gassification Unit (FSRU) project in Hope Town aims to reduce reliance on diesel generators in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, offering a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable power supply option.
