Perhaps, increased RLNG import is the only option. Having said that, the cover story in this issue still takes a more genial view of things and tracks the evolution and future business plans of the country’s largest public sector natural gas entity – GAIL (India) Limited.
In the same vein, this issue’s spotlight is trained on the initiatives embarked upon by various companies to capitalize on this precious fuel’s high calorific value through better technologies, improved heat cycles and hybrid techniques. We track the course taken by various industry majors in this vertical.
Ever curious to take greener, cleaner paths, the industry is taking rapid strides in commercializing the IGCC platform. While still rather expensive an alternative, we would like to believe that integrated gasification is definitely the way forward, sidestepping the radically unconventional route.
Amongst other stories, our finance story takes a look at how the Power Finance Corporation continues to perform its defining role as power project financier with unassuming perfection – a fact attested to by the industry that nominated its managing director as the power person of the year.However, all’s not hunky dory in the energy landscape this month. Tata Power’s failing to secure CERs from UNFCC’s CDM panel has the industry in jitters. With the fate of super-critical technology driven UMPPs now hanging in the balance, TPC’s case may have just rung the death knell for overambitious thermal projects. The time is probably just right for an ‘ultra mega’ rethink of power and its prospects!

Saptarshi R Dutta
Editor