Petronet Plans 1,350 LNG Stations in India

India’s biggest LNG importer Petronet LNG plans to set up 1,350 LNG filling stations on highways in the coming few years, company’s director finance Vinod K Mishra told analysts July 6.

The company plans to develop these stations in three phases. In the first phase, Petronet LNG will put up 50 stations on five major highways, which include the western corridor and southern corridor, by next year. And then in the second phase, 300 LNG dispensing stations are expected to come up by 2025. In the third phase, 1,000 stations will be set up.

Mishra, however, said that the company is not getting into fuel retail business and all these stations will be set up in conjunction with city gas and fuel retail companies. “The basic intention of putting up all these things is to invoke this business vertical so that we can enhance the uses of LNG in the automotive sector,” Mishra said.

To begin with, Petronet LNG has already signed a memorandum of understanding with Gujarat Gas to set up five stations in the state of Gujarat. The company is also planning LNG dispensing stations on the Delhi-Mumbai highway, and three stations are being put up by Indraprastha Gas. “So, Delhi-Mumbai highway shall be covered by almost eight LNG stations in a few months from now,” he said.

The company expects long-haul transport to mop up 8 to 9mn metric tons/year of LNG over the next decade.

Last month, the Indian downstream regulator Petroleum Natural Gas Regulatory Board said that any entity could set up an LNG filling station in any geographical area , removing any doubt about the question.