Chennai Power Generation Ltd (CPGL), a subsidiary of General Mediterranean Holding, has submitted an application to the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change for fresh ‘Terms of Reference’ (ToR) for a 900 MW Regasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) based Combined Cycle Power Plant. The plant will be located in Kattupalli, near Ennore, Tamil Nadu.With an estimated cost of Rs 7,700 crore, the project aims to utilize cutting-edge gas turbine technology from General Electric (GE) and will be spread over an area of 31.16 hectares. CPGL has secured a supply agreement with Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) to source 3.67 million metric standard cubic meters of RLNG per day from IOCL’s Ennore port terminal.
The proposed power plant is expected to be fully operational within 30 months. As part of its infrastructure, the plant will also include a desalination facility, requiring 1.47 lakh cubic meters of seawater daily for operation. Officials from TANGEDCO have highlighted that the RLNG-based plant will have zero emissions and is capable of adjusting its power generation rapidly, which makes it well-suited to complement renewable energy sources that are inherently variable.
This project marks a significant shift from the plant’s original 1998 proposal, which was coal-based. Due to issues related to land acquisition and fuel supply, the plan evolved into a gas-based project, now aligned with the availability of RLNG from IOCL’s Ennore terminal. The move reflects the growing focus on cleaner, gas-based energy solutions to meet the country’s electricity demands while minimizing environmental impacts.