New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday set out his government's energy roadmap, envisaging more than double the share of cleaner natural gas in the consumption basket, diversifying sources of energy, connecting the nation with one gas pipeline grid and bringing affordable fuel to people and industry.
Inaugurating a 450-km natural gas pipeline between Kochi in Kerala to Mangaluru in Karnataka, he said India under his government is seeing unprecedented work on highways, railway, metro, air, water, digital and gas connectivity which will aid economic development.
The Kochi-Mangaluru pipeline has been built by GAIL (India) Ltd.
It has a transportation capacity of 12 million metric standard cubic metres per day and will carry natural gas from the liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification terminal in Kochi to Mangaluru, passing through Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod districts.
The total cost of the project was about Rs 3,000 crore, and its construction created over 12 lakh worker-days of employment.
The pipeline will supply environment-friendly and affordable fuel in the form of piped natural gas (PNG) to households and compressed natural gas (CNG) to the transportation sector.
The government has an "integrated approach to energy planning. Our energy agenda is all-inclusive," he said.
While on the one hand, natural gas pipeline network is being doubled to about 32,000 km in 5-6 years, on the other, work on the world's biggest hybrid renewable plant combining wind and solar power has started in Gujarat.
Also, the emphasis is being laid on manufacturing biofuels as well as electric mobility.
In 10 years' time, petrol will be doped with as much as 20 per cent of ethanol extracted from sugarcane and other agro products, he said.
This would help cut reliance on imports for meeting oil needs as well as reduce carbon emissions.
Alongside, the share of natural gas in the energy basket is being targeted to be raised to 15 per cent from the current 6.2 per cent, he said.
The pipeline grid will help improve clean energy access as well as also aid in the development of city gas projects, he said.
Modi said 900 CNG stations were set up till 2014 after the advent of compressed natural gas as fuel for automobiles in the country around 1992. In the last six years, the number of CNG stations has gone up to 1,500 and the target is to take them to 10,000, he said.
Also, 25 lakh households had piped natural gas connections for using the fuel for cooking purposes till 2014 which has risen to 72 lakh now, he said.
"We are working to provide clean, affordable and sustainable energy," he said.
Kerala CM hails completion of Kochi-Mangaluru natural gas pipeline project
Kochi: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday hailed the completion of GAIL's Kochi-Mangaluru natural gas pipeline, saying completion of the project halted due to various obstacles was one of the major poll promises of his government.
Noting that GAIL had to stop the project in September 2104 due to several obstacles, the Chief Minister said at the 450 km pipeline's virtual inaugural function that his government, after coming to power in 2016, had to "clear obstacles by proactively addressing the genuine concerns of the people".
"GAIL authorities also stood by us in making this project come to life. I am extremely happy that our combined efforts have borne fruits," he said.
(With inputs from PTI)
