GAIL (India) will make an investment of Rs 1.05 lakh crore over the next five years to expand pipelines, lay city gas distribution network and raise petrochemical production capacity.
Gas pipelines are planned to take the fuel to the east and northeast regions as well as to consumers in the south as part of the government push to raise the share of natural gas in India's energy basket to 15 percent by 2030 from the current 6.2 percent.
The company has planned a capex of Rs 45,000 to Rs 50,000 crore in laying pipelines, Rs 10,000 crore petrochemical capacity expansion and another Rs 40,000 crore for city gas distribution (CGD) business. At present, GAIL (India) operates 12,160 km of pipeline network and markets two-thirds of all-natural gas sold in the country. It will add about 7,000 km pipeline length in the next five years. The company is scaling up on liquefied natural gas (LNG) import capacity.
Besides owning a part of Petronet LNG, it also owns and operates a five million tonne LNG import facility at Dabhol in Maharashtra. Currently, operations are restricted during monsoon months as high tide could damage ships carrying gas in its liquid form.
Also, the company has booked capacity at Adani Group's upcoming terminal at Dhamra in Odisha. Pipeline projects at hand include the ambitious Urja Ganga Project to take gas to Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand as well as Kochi-Kootanad-Bangalore-Mangalore line; and Indradhanush North East Gas Grid.
Besides pipelines, GAIL (India) is also expanding city gas distribution (CGD) networks for retailing of CNG to automobiles and piped natural gas to household kitchens. Investments are also planned for expansion of Pata petrochemical plant in Uttar Pradesh as well as converting an LPG recovery unit at Usar in Maharashtra into 5,00,000 tonne polypropylene plant. GAIL (India) is looking to put up 400 CNG stations and give out a record 10 lakh piped natural gas (PNG) connections to household kitchens in the next three-five years.
The company is building 2,655 km gas pipeline from Jagdishpur in Uttar Pradesh to Haldia in West Bengal, Bokaro in Jharkhand and Dhamra in Odisha. GAIL (India) has commenced city gas operations in all the six geographical areas (GAs), including Patna and Bhubaneshwar, that was awarded to it along the Urja Ganga route.
The pipeline will be extended to Guwahati by laying an additional 750 km line. At Guwahati, it will interconnect with the upcoming 1,500 km 'Indradhanush' pipeline network conceived to operate in the northeast region by the public sector oil and gas companies. GAIL (India) will also lay 600 km Srikakulam-Angul natural gas pipeline.