"After completion of the LNG terminal and break water facility in year 2010, the generation of the Dabhol plant will be scaled up to 5,000 Mw," announced chairman of the Ratnagiri Gas and Power Pvt Ltd, Chandan Roy. However, he said this will happen only when we manage to contract the gas supply.

Roy said the plant will start functioning to its fullest by the end of January 2008, after delay of one-month from previous schedule. The 750Mw Block II will be fully operational by the end of this month and the Block III (750Mw) will become functional a month later, he added.

The damaged Block I will be operational by the end of January 2008. "We are confident of getting gas for all the blocks," Roy said.

At present a gas supply has been contracted for a period up to 2009, sufficient for running only two blocks. The LNG terminal storage capacity is 5.1 million tonnes per annum and the entire plant requires only 2.1 million tonnes per annum.