March 06, 2025 [Pipeline & Gas Journal]- India is set to fully commission the world’s longest liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) pipeline by June, a move expected to drastically reduce transportation expenses and enhance road safety, according to The Economic Times.
The state-backed initiative aims to streamline the country’s fuel supply chain by shifting LPG transport from roads to a dedicated pipeline network.
“This will revolutionize how LPG is moved across India,” N. Senthil Kumar, director of pipelines at Indian Oil Corp, told The Economic Times. “It’s like putting the fuel on a conveyor belt.”
The $1.3 billion infrastructure project will replace hundreds of trucks that currently haul LPG from refineries to bottling plants, helping to mitigate accident risks. The dangers of road transport were highlighted by recent incidents, including a tanker overturning in Coimbatore and a tragic collision in Jaipur last December that left 20 dead and 45 injured.
Indian Oil, in partnership with Bharat Petroleum Corp. and Hindustan Petroleum Corp., established IHB to develop the 2,800-kilometer (1,740-mile) pipeline linking Kandla on India’s west coast to Gorakhpur in the north. The first phase is set to launch in March, with full operations expected by mid-year, Kumar confirmed.
Once operational, the pipeline will have the capacity to transport 8.3 million tons of LPG annually—roughly a quarter of India’s total demand. This shift is expected to significantly cut distribution costs, as 70% of bottling plants still rely on trucking. India’s Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board has been urging refiners to expand pipeline infrastructure to manage growing fuel volumes while reducing highway hazards.
LPG consumption in India, primarily for household cooking, has surged by 80% over the past decade, reaching 29.6 million tons in the fiscal year ending March 2024. Government subsidies encouraging low-income households to transition away from biomass have contributed to the demand spike.
Initially announced in 2019, the project faced multiple setbacks, including supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and material shortages linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine. India’s existing LPG pipeline network currently spans nearly 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles), and the addition of this new pipeline marks a significant expansion in the country’s energy infrastructure.
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