Five highways will have installations of LNG stations by next year

Leading oil marketing companies such as Petronet LNG Ltd., Indian Oil Corporation, BPCL and the like have huddled together to put up close to twenty LNG stations on various national highways to provide for LNG fed truck transport movement following instruction from the government, said Director (Finance), Petronet LNG Ltd., V K Mishra adding that tenders would be issued for this purpose in next 15 days.

Addressing a Conference on "City Gas Distribution in India" under aegis of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry here today, Mishra clarified that this association of oil marketing companies have fructified on a pilot project base to feed roughly 5,000 trucks with LNG on leading five national highways, beginning 2019.

"Following its successful experiment, this exercise would have a repeat in subsequent year of 2020 for another estimated 5,000 trucks that can run on national highways on LNG with a fuel cost saving of nearly 25 percent as well effectively addressing the issue of fuel pollution," said Mishra.

According to him, the necessary permission to put up such LNG distribution center on national highways has already been given since the government has asked the oil marketing companies to put up such stations to attack the twin issues of fuel cost savings as well sufficiently addressing the issue pertaining to increasing fuel pollution.

In addition, the higher element of efficiency would also be brought in with large number of trucks running on national highways with LNG as it is deemed to be a cleaner fuel with virtually no element of pollution in it, pointed out Mishra.

He also clarified that India is inspired for this initiative partly with China where close to three lakh of trucks are operation on their highways with LNG fuel and the team of oil sector experts is currently visiting China to study there this system.

In order to broad base the exercise of running trucks on LNG fuel to begin with and subsequently passenger buses also on the same fuel on national highways, the oil companies have already asked the truck manufacturers such as TATAs and Mahendras to accordingly make such trucks as can be fuelled with cheaper and cleaner fuel such as LNG and the like.

OSD to CMD, GAIL India Ltd. & Chairman, Energy Committee, PHD Chamber, Rajeev Mathur in his observations drove home the point that until EVs become the reality of the day, the natural gas should be encouraged as a better alternate fuel to feed the transportation sector as it would not only save on cost but also address issue of increasing vehicular pollution.

Among others who also spoke on the occasion were co-chairmen, Oil and Gas Committee, PHD Chamber, H P S Arora and Pawan K Tibrawalla along with its Principal Director, Dr. Ranjeet Mehta.