August 31, 2020 [Tank News International] – India is making investments worth billions of dollars to expand pipeline networks as well as build import capacities to meet growing gas demand in the country. City gas distribution networks are also being expanded to raise the share of gas as a transportation fuel as well as kitchen fuel.

Currently, natural gas makes up about 6.2% of the entire energy consumption in India. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi has now set a target of raising the share of natural gas in the energy basket to 15% by 2030 to cut carbon emission in the economy.

A Government spokesperson said: “The number of reforms envisaged by the Government will be instrumental in realising India’s vision on mega investments on LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminals, gas pipelines and CGD infrastructure in a move towards increasing the share of natural gas from 6% to 15% in the energy basket.”

Currently, the total natural gas pipeline network in India is about 17,500 km, of which 12,500 km is operated by GAIL.

With the commissioning of two new liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals (one in the east coast and another in the west coast of India), regasification capacity of India has reached 39 million tonnes per annum.

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