GAIL (India) is planning to invest over Rs 45,000 crore over the next five years to expand the National Gas Pipeline Grid and city gas distribution network. The gas pipelines are planned to take the fuel to the east and northeast regions as well as to consumers in the south as part of the government push to raise the share of natural gas in India’s energy basket to 15% by 2030 from the current 6.2%.
GAIL (India) currently operates 12,160 km pipeline network and markets two-thirds of all-natural gas sold in the country. It is currently executing more than 5,500 km pipeline projects and a similar length is at planning stage. Currently, the company is working on Urja Ganga Project to take gas to Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand as well as Kochi-Kootanad-Bengaluru-Mangaluru line and the Indradhanush North East Gas Grid.
These pipelines will connect supply and demand centres envisaged under the National Gas Grid. Besides pipelines, GAIL (India) is also expanding city gas distribution (CGD) networks for retailing of CNG to automobiles and piped natural gas to household kitchens. Investments are also planned for expansion of petrochemical plants.
GAIL (India) is looking to put up 400 CNG stations and give out a record 10 lakh piped natural gas (PNG) connections to household kitchens in the next three-five years. The company is building 2,655 km gas pipeline from Jagdishpur in Uttar Pradesh to Haldia in West Bengal, Bokaro in Jharkhand and Dhamra in Odisha.
GAIL (India) has also commenced city gas operations in all the six geographical areas (GAs), including Patna and Bhubaneshwar, that was awarded to it along the Urja Ganga route.
The pipeline will be extended to Guwahati by laying an additional 750 km line. At Guwahati, it would interconnect with the upcoming 1,500 km ‘Indradhanush’ pipeline network conceived to operate in the northeast region by the public sector oil and gas majors. It will also lay 600 km Srikakulam-Angul natural gas pipeline.