Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate the 450-km long Kochi-Koottanad-Mangaluru natural gas pipeline built and operated by GAIL India Ltd., to the nation on Tuesday.
GAIL Chairman and MD Manoj Jain at a virtual press conference on Saturday said the regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) has already been flowing from Kochi LNG Terminal of Petronet LNG to Mangaluru (Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilisers Ltd.) heralding a new era in clean and green energy sector. The virtual inaugural programme would also witness participation of Governors and Chief Ministers of Karnataka and Kerala as well as Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan from 11 a.m.
Work on the City Gas Distribution system for Mangaluru was under way and some areas were likely to get supply by the end of the year, he said. While MCF, the lone chemical fertiliser manufacturer in Karnataka uses about 0.85 million standard cubic metres per day (MSCMD) of LNG, Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd., and ONGC Mangalore Petrochemicals Ltd., were likely to offload another 0.6 MSCMD from the end of this month, he said. Distribution of LNG as an auto fuel was likely to coincide with the supply of city gas distribution in Mangaluru.
Cost-wise, LNG would be cheaper by about 40% than fossil fuels petrol and diesel for automobiles while about 20% cheaper than LPG for domestic consumption. For industries too, the liquefied natural gas would not only be cheaper than conventional fuel, but also would be energy efficient and environment friendly, Mr. Jain said. If industries were using waste oil or Naphtha for their energy requirements, use of LNG would mean reduction in pollution by over 50%, he added.
Work on the Kochi-Koottanad-Mangaluru LNG pipeline began in 2009 and was expected to be commissioned in 2014 at an estimated cost of ₹2,915 crore. However, delays in land acquisition following opposition from land owners and other aspects delayed construction and the line was completed on November 16, 2020. The final cost was estimated at ₹5,750 crore.
