India inaugurates 201 CNG stations
Indian oil and natural gas minister Dharmendra Pradhan on June 8 inaugurated 201 CNG stations set up by state-run Gail across the country, the government said on the same day. The ceremony was conducted virtually in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pradhan also inaugurated the start of piped natural gas supply in Jhansi in the state of Madhya Pradesh and mobile refuelling units for vehicles at Raigad in the state of Maharashtra. The mobile units are owned by Indraprastha Gas and Mahanagar Gas.
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The minister said that the future of fuel retail is mobile. “We are bringing in innovation in energy retailing and making it mobile and delivering at the doorsteps,” Pradhan added.
India is aiming to increase the share of natural gas in the energy mix to 15% by 2030 from 6% now. Pradhan said that his ministry is pushing for greater adoption of cleaner fuels like hydrogen, ethanol-blended petrol and LNG. He stated that state-run Indian Oil Corp is soon going to launch hydrogen dispensing stations at its refineries and in the city of Vadodara.
Pradhan said that the city gas distribution space has emerged as a major sector for natural gas consumption. The demand is only going to increase as more areas become operational, he said. The minister said that there is a need for conversion of diesel and petrol vehicles to CNG/LNG for ensuring lesser emissions and a cleaner environment. India is expected to have about 10,000 CNG stations in the next decade, he said.
The mobile refuelling units will help achieve supply of CNG in areas not yet connected through pipelines or at places where there is a scarcity of land parcels to set up conventional CNG stations, he said. These units can store up to 1,500 kg CNG and can fill 150 to 200 vehicles per day.
Pradhan stated that the aim of the government is to move towards the concept of energy retailing where all different transport fuels shall be available at a single point.