New Indian Exp LNG Pipeline Laying to be Over by Mid-2016 KOCHI:
The government is making extra efforts to expedite laying of the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) pipeline through the State, and to complete the work by mid-2016, said Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson.
“The various procedures related to laying of the GAIL pipeline, including the survey, have been completed in the Ernakulam district. We plan to cover 504 km across seven districts in the State in the next two months. The State Government is confident that the work would be finished on time. Our aim is to finish the project by next year. Once the global tender formalities of GAIL is completed, a specific timeline will be declared,” Jiji Thomson told ‘Express’.
Work on the Kochi-Koottanadu-Bengaluru- Mangaluru LNG pipeline, which was held up for around three years, resumed at Edayar in Kochi in early June. So far, only 45 km of pipeline, from Petronet’s LNG terminal at Puthuvype, has been laid. Once laying of the remaining 470-km pipeline is completed, Kerala will find a place on the gas pipeline map of India.
“GAIL will float a global tender to complete the pipeline project in the State. Work on the project is likely to begin after the monsoon season. If everything goes as planned, the LNG pipeline will link the State in 6-8 months.
“We are hopeful to complete the project in a timely manner, with the support of the State Government.” said GAIL officials.
Petronet LNG Limited incurred a loss of roughly `400 crore in its Kochi operations in the last financial year. The primary reason for the loss was that gas offtake from the terminal was nearly static, with little progress on the supply pipeline.
The `4,500-crore LNG Terminal at Puthuvype was commissioned in August 2013, and was officially dedicated to the nation in January 2014.
