The ambitious project to supply piped natural gas (PNG) to individual houses in Alappuzha is close to becoming a reality. In the initial phase, around 11,900 households in Cherthala municipality and Vayalar grama panchayat will receive piped gas in their kitchens once the City Gas project is rolled out next month.
The storage and distribution plants of the project at Thankey, near Cherthala, was commissioned recently.
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board has entrusted AG&P Pratham with the execution of the project in Alappuzha. Officials of AG&P Pratham said the project would be expanded to other parts of the district once it was connected to the GAIL pipeline.
“The first phase of the project will be completed in January, 2023. The second phase will cover nearby panchayats. The Thakey plant, constructed at a cost of ₹24 crore, has a capacity to distribute cooking gas to 80,000 households. More such plants will be constructed in Alappuzha in the future,” said Ranjith Ramakrishnan, regional head, AG&P Pratham.
The ₹3,000-crore project in Alappuzha would be completed in eight years, he added.
In Vayalar panchayat, as many 5,792 people have registered for the project. Plumbing and installation of meters have been completed in 3,970 houses. The number of registrations in Cherthala stands at 6,057. Plumbing, meter installation and related works have been completed in 2,856 houses there.
Officials said that for the time being, liquified natural gas (LNG) would be brought to the plants at Thankey in tankers. “The LNG will be converted to PNG. Once the national highway development works are over, the gas will be brought from Puthuvypeen using underground pipeline,” said an official.
Officials claimed that the City Gas project would be a cheaper option compared to LPG cylinders. It has better safety features and reduces pollution, they said.
