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Protests over the soaring cost of fuel spread disruption across Ireland on Saturday with many gas stations running dry as truck and tractor drivers staged a fifth day of blockades at the country's sole fuel refinery and several depots. Vehicles blocking traffic led to closures of the main highway around the capital, Dublin, as well as six other major roadways. More than a third of the 1,500 service stations in the republic are out of fuel and that number is expected to grow dramatically if the roadblocks remain, Fuels for Ireland chief executive Kevin McPartlan said. Irish police put all its officers on notice they could be called to duty over the weekend and the military was on standby to help remove the vehicles as the government was due to renew talks Saturday to resolve the dispute. Frustration over the soaring cost of fuel led to the protests that began Tuesday and have continued to grow as word spread on social media. Government officials, who had already introduced measures
The applicability of newly reimposed export windfall taxes on shipments of diesel and ATF from Reliance Industries' SEZ refinery remains the key uncertainty, following India's fuel duty overhaul, with significant implications for refining margins and government revenues, according to analysts. Under the revised framework, effective March 26, India has imposed export duties of Rs 21.50 per litre on diesel and Rs 29.50 per litre on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) while keeping petrol exports exempt. This came alongside a Rs 10 per litre cut in excise duty on petrol and diesel. However, it is not yet clear whether exports from Reliance's special economic zone (SEZ) refinery, which accounted for a large share of India's refined product exports, will continue to enjoy exemptions, as they did under the 2022 windfall tax regime, UK's Investec said in a note. Reliance owns and operates two refineries at Jamnagar in Gujarat - a 33 million tonnes per year unit catering to the domestic market and
India has about 60 days of fuel stock cover, the government said on Thursday, adding that there is no shortage of petrol, diesel, or LPG as it dismissed reports of shortages as a "deliberate misinformation campaign" aimed at triggering panic buying. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said all petrol pumps across the country are adequately stocked and operating normally, with no rationing of petrol or diesel. India, the world's fourth-largest refiner and fifth-largest exporter of petroleum products, has structurally assured domestic fuel availability and continues to supply refined fuels to over 150 countries, the ministry said in a statement. "Every Indian refinery (which turn crude oil into fuels like petrol and diesel) is running at over 100 per cent utilisation," it said. "Crude oil supplies for next 60 days have already been tied up by Indian oil companies. There is no supply gap." India, it said, has 74 days of total crude oil and fuel stocking capacity. "Actual stock
The government on Tuesday said India has adequate stocks of petrol, diesel and LPG, and that all refineries are operating at high capacity despite disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz situation. In an update on fuel availability, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said petrol pumps across the country remain fully functional, though panic buying triggered by rumours led to unusually high sales in some areas. She urged citizens not to engage in hoarding and to rely on official information. Sharma said domestic LPG production has been stepped up, with no reported dry-outs at distributorships, even as supply remains under pressure due to the prevailing geopolitical situation. Deliveries continue as normal, she added. Natural gas supplies to priority segments such as domestic PNG and CNG transport remain fully protected, while supplies to industrial and commercial users are being maintained at about 80 per cent of average consumption. The
The government has stepped up efforts to streamline gas distribution and ease supply pressures, directing faster processing of city gas projects while increasing allocations of commercial LPG to key sectors amid a challenging geopolitical environment. The Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) has instructed its offices to dispose of City Gas Distribution (CGD) applications within 10 days, aiming to accelerate the rollout of piped natural gas (PNG), an official statement said. Commercial LPG consumers in major cities and urban areas have also been advised to shift to PNG as part of a broader strategy to reduce dependence on liquefied petroleum gas. Domestic LPG supply remains stable, with no reported dry-outs at distributorships and normal delivery patterns across the country, it said, adding that most deliveries are being carried out through Delivery Authentication Code (DAC), while panic bookings have subsided. On the commercial LPG side, the government has ...
The Indian Auto LPG Coalition (IAC) has urged the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) to include Auto LPG (Autogas) in an ongoing TERI-led study assessing vehicular fuel options in India's energy transition. In a formal representation to PNGRB, the coalition sought inclusion of Auto LPG in the study titled 'Comparative Assessment of Vehicular Fuels in India's Energy Transition -- A Multi-Dimensional Approach', commissioned by the regulator to provide evidence-based inputs to policymakers on transport decarbonisation, air-quality improvement and sustainable mobility as India moves towards its net-zero targets. In a statement detailing its representation, IAC said the exclusion of Auto LPG would lead to an incomplete and potentially biased assessment, particularly given the study's focus on gaseous fuels and the participation of city gas distribution entities. The coalition said Auto LPG is a proven, immediately deployable transition fuel with a significant operational
With fewer vehicles rolling in and enforcement teams stationed at entrances, petrol pumps across the national capital on Thursday wore a quieter look as the 'No PUC, No Fuel' rule came into force to curb worsening air pollution. At several fuel stations, vehicles were seen queued up as pollution certificates were checked, while some motorists without documents were turned away, prompting a few to make phone calls for help. At a Janpath petrol pump, Mukesh Kumar said the rules were justified but also questioned how people could be expected to stop using vehicles bought with hard-earned money. Another consumer at the pump supported the move, saying the rule was necessary to control pollution. A DTC in charge, JD Sharma, deployed at a petrol pump, said checks were being carried out manually as there were no cameras at the location. "We are checking pollution certificates and noting down vehicle details, which will be shared with the department concerned," he said. At the Delhi-Noida
Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday said India is transitioning from a fuel-importing to a fuel-exporting nation, driven by the growing production and use of ethanol, methanol and green hydrogen. Gadkari, addressing the 84th annual session of the Indian Roads Congress (IRC), emphasised the government's commitment to road safety, focusing on advanced engineering standards, intelligent transport systems, and awareness initiatives. India is transitioning from a fuel-importing to a fuel-exporting nation, driven by the growing production and use of ethanol, methanol, bio-LNG, CNG, and green hydrogen, he said. India is the fastest-growing economy in the world. The dream of our Prime Minister is to make India the third-largest economy. Our mission is to make the country a Vishwaguru'. For that, we need world-class infrastructure in the water, power, transport, and communication segments, the Union Road Transport and Highways Minister said. Gadkari said the government's aim is to build