Piped Gas for Small Town Gujarat

Gujarat is often referred to as the ‘gas capital’ of the country. And, it is finally happening. GSPC Gas, a subsidiary of Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation, has unveiled a massive plan to lay down an elaborate pipeline network that will connect two million homes across the state with piped cooking gas.While natural gas will be supplied as domestic fuel to all the 180 taluka headquarters across 26 districts of the state, the same grid will be used to open compressed natural gas (CNG) for vehicles in all these centres. Industries in Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) estates will also be covered under the plan.The seven-year plan, estimated to cost a whopping Rs 8,000 crore, has been submitted to the Gujarat government which is now poised to approach the Union ministry of petroleum for seeking necessary clearances. State government sources said one crore population in Gujarat, which is one-fifth of the state, would be covered under the plan.Apart from these 180 towns, all villages falling on the way, which have a population of more than 10,000, will also be extended the facility. An estimated 5.5 million cubic metres per day (MMCD) will be required, which will be sourced from the GSPC’s gas-fields in the Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin. GSPC Gas will lay a pipeline network of 1 lakh km for this project. It has already laid down 1,500 km pipeline network covering more than 12 places.GSPC has already struck a deal with Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) for bringing the gas from Kankinada to Hazira through the under-construction Reliance pipeline. Reliance, in turn, will be using the GSPC network within Gujarat for gas transportation for its own use. Gujarat’s minister of state for energy and petroleum Saurabh Patel said: “The plan would result in a saving of Rs 2,000 crore worth of central subsidy given on petrol, diesel and LPG.” At present, Adani Energy has been granted licence for city gas distribution in Ahmedabad and Vadodara while Gujarat Gas does the same in Surat.