New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has authorised the development of nearly 1,800 km of LPG pipeline infrastructure involving an estimated investment of about Rs 7,000 crore across six states to boost India’s energy infrastructure and LPG supply chain resilience.
The projects — spanning Telangana, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Karnataka and Goa — are aimed at strengthening the country’s LPG transportation network and enhancing long-term energy security.
India meets a significant portion of its LPG demand through imports at coastal locations, necessitating transport of the fuel across the country.
In addition, the newly approved pipelines are expected to improve the efficiency and reliability of LPG movement to inland markets.
The authorised pipeline projects include the 556-km Cherlapally (Telangana)-Nagpur (Maharashtra) pipeline, the 611-km Jhansi (Uttar Pradesh)-Sitarganj (Uttarakhand) pipeline and the 633-km Shikrapur (Maharashtra)-Goa and Hubballi (Karnataka) pipeline.
Moreover, the projects have been authorised for development by GAIL (India) Ltd.
Upon completion, the PNGRB-authorised common-carrier LPG pipeline network in the country will expand from around 7,700 km to about 9,500 km, marking an increase of nearly 23.5 per cent.
The approvals build on the earlier authorisation of the Kandla-Gorakhpur LPG Pipeline, which at around 2,757 km is the country’s longest LPG pipeline.
According to PNGRB, pipeline transportation is globally regarded as the safest, most economical and environmentally sustainable mode of LPG transport.
The new projects are expected to substantially reduce the movement of LPG tank trucks on roads, resulting in improved road safety, lower logistics costs, reduced traffic congestion and a significant decline in carbon emissions through a shift from road-based transportation to pipelines.
The regulator also noted that it has been pursuing the objective of eliminating the primary movement of LPG by road to bottling plants.
–IANS
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