NGS’ NG/LNG SNAPSHOT Feb 16-28, 2025
National News Internatonal News
NATIONAL NEWS
City Gas Distribution & Auto LPG
Kolkata: ‘Piped gas likely to reach New Town by March 2026’
Kolkata: Bengal Gas Company Limited, a joint venture of GAIL (India) Limited and Bengal’s Greater Calcutta Gas Supply Corporation Limited, is hopeful of delivering piped gas to New Town by March 2026. The internal pipeline at New Town is ready. The supply line will gradually be expanded to Garia via EM Bypass from New Town. The laying of the pipeline is also completed in the stretch between Chingrighata off EM Bypass and Garia.
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The national gas grid, which connects Bengal with the rest of the country, has already reached Gayeshpur, near Kalyani, around 40 kilometres from Rajarhat.
Anupam Mukhopadhyay, CEO, Bengal Gas Company, said from Gayeshpur onwards it’s the company’s job to build the rest of the infrastructure and bring piped gas to Kolkata as part of its mandate to develop the gas distribution network in the city and in its adjoining districts of North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and Nadia. The plan is to initially connect 5 lakh households.
“A City Gate Station (CGS) which is basically a pressure reduction unit is under construction and is expected to be completed by March. We will be able to charge our pipeline at this point,” he added.
Mukhopadhyay explained that the CGS functions like sub-stations that manage voltages of electric supply.
“We are laying a pipeline along Kalyani Expressway. We expect to reach up to Barrackpore Ganges More in at least 6 months. We can do it faster but we need permission from West Bengal Highway Development Corporation. If we get that soon, we will be able to execute the job at a greater pace,” said Mukhopadhyay.
He added that from there onwards to Barasat, the pipeline is already laid. The pending patches are along the Kalyani Expressway and from Barasat to the Airport (from Barasat to Airport, permission from the Public Works Department is needed). If permissions are granted, we hope gas will reach New Town in a year.
Once clearance comes, it takes around 6 to 7 months for us to lay around a 10 km stretch,”
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/piped-gas-likely-to-reach-new-town-by-march-2026-598698
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Mumbai’s BMC directs eateries to shift to CNG, piped gas by July or face action
Mumbai’s municipal body – Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation – has issued a directive to roadside vendors, restaurants and eateries under its jurisdiction to shift to cleaner fuels – CNG or piped natural gas- or prepare for strict action.
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The move by BMC sparked a rally in the shares of city gas supplier Mahanagar Gas in an otherwise weak session, with the shares of MGL trading higher by 1.5 percent on February 18.
The BMC has issued a directive to local vendors, hotels, restaurants and dhabas not to resort to wood or coal as fuel, and the transition is to be completed by July 8, 2025. The measure is aimed at improving the air quality of the city, which had deteriorated last year after monsoon, in light of high vehicular pollution, increasing construction for housing projects and the ongoing major infrastructure upgrades across the city.
“Strict action will be taken for non-compliance. Establishments must adopt CNG or PNG instead of polluting fuels”, BMC’s statement said. The municipal body has also issued notices to 84 establishments that were found to non complying with the requirement. BMC added that it will mark establishments’ licences as unfit for renewal, should the compliance is found lacking.
The city has also mooted a plan to study the possibility of a ban on petrol and diesel cars, in an effort to control rising pollution levels. The committee to review petrol and diesel vehicles in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region will be headed by a retired IAS officer, and shall submit its report along with recommendations by April, 2025.
Last year, the BMC has issued warnings to 28 construction sites, and banned development work in two suburbs in December 2024 over breach of pollution control protocols.
The city’s air quality recently came under criticism after American tech millionaire Bryan Johnson called the situation in Mumbai a ‘serious health concern’.
Mumbai is undertaking several green transit initiatives, aimed at enhancing sustainable transportation. The existing Metro Network is being expanded, to boost public transit. Plans are also underway to double the operational capacity of the Mumbai’s Monorail going forward.
BluSmart, the electric ride-hailing company too has announced its much-anticipated expansion into Mumbai.
The upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), which is scheduled to commence operation in 2025 is expected to help decongest the city.
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Crown LNG and Indian Gas Exchange will set up terminal at Kakinada Deepsea Port, says MP
Kakinada Member of Parliament T. Uday Srinivas has said that Crown LNG’s CEO Swapan Kataria has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Gas Exchange (IGE) CEO Rajesh Kumar to set up a Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) terminal at the Kakinada Deepsea Port in Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh.
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“The LNG terminal will be set up at an estimated cost of ₹9,000 crore. The facility is expected to meet the commercial and industrial needs in South India,” Mr. Uday Srinivas said in a release, adding that the MoU was signed on February 14 on the sidelines of the India Energy Week-2025 held in New Delhi.
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Natural Gas/ Pipelines/ Company News
AG&P Pratham and THINK Gas toast the merger of their two brands
The new look was unveiled by Dr Anil Kumar Jain, Chairperson, Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) during the event, in the presence of Shri Amitava Sengupta, Chairman, THINK Gas and Shri Abhilesh Gupta, MD & CEO, THINK Gas, Shri A. Ramana Kumar, Member – PNGRB and Takeshi Shinohara San, MD, Osaka Gas India Pvt. Ltd.
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AG&P Pratham and THINK Gas, group entities with two prominent brands in the City Gas Distribution (CGD) sector, will now operate under a single brand – THINK Gas, to leverage operational efficiencies and expand market reach. The reshaped entity will operate across 10% of India’s and mass, covering 50 districts across 10 states, and serve a population of more than 180 million.
Dr. Anil Kumar Jain, Chairperson, PNGRB, unveiled the new brand, saying: “I extend my warm congratulations to AG&P Pratham and THINK Gas on their merged brand identity, THINK Gas. We eagerly anticipate accelerated growth with the new brand to foster an energy ecosystem that drives sustainable development that fuels India’s growth.”
During the launch, Shri Amitava Sengupta, Chairman, THINK Gas said: “The strategic brand merger of AG&P Pratham and THINK Gas will catapult our combined brand into the major league, positioning us as a leading energy player.
“Under the new brand, THINK Gas, we aim to develop and establish one of the largest natural gas networks in the country.”
The group entities together will be the largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Greenfi eld CGD business. With an investment of $ 1bn over next eight years, the combined group entities plan on expanding its network to 24,000 inch-km of steel pipelines, creating a stronger network of over 2,000 CNG stations covering 324,000 sq km aimed at catering to the needs of more than 180m customers.
Shri Abhilesh Gupta, MD & CEO, THINK Gas, said: “Over the past five years, AG&P Pratham and THINK Gas have built a strong reputation and brand presence in their respective markets.
“This brand merger has paved the way for a unified identity, THINK Gas. Leveraging our deep domain expertise, we will continue to integrate global best practices in health, safety,susta inability, environment, technology and customer relationship management. We are committed to playing a pivotal role in the government’s vision to increase natural gas’s share in India’s energy mix.”
THINK Gas is backed by marque investors – I Squared Capital, OSAKA Gas, Sumitomo Corporation, Konoike Group, Japan Overseas Infrastructure Investment Corporation for Transport & Urban Development (JOIN), and AG&P Global.
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Noida Airport Inks Partnership with IGL for Sustainable Infrastructure
Noida International Airport (NIA) has teamed up with Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) to set up Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) infrastructure, furthering its commitment to sustainable transport. As part of the partnership, IGL will build two CNG stations—one in the west precinct and another in the airside area—to serve travellers, staff, and airport partners. IGL will also develop the City Gas Distribution (CGD) network at the airport, ensuring easy access to the CNG stations. Additionally,
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the collaboration will include the installation of pipeline infrastructure to supply piped natural gas (PNG) to F&B outlets, lounges, and kitchens in the terminal and other airport buildings. This initiative is in line with NIA’s goal of creating an environmentally conscious and energy-efficient airport, providing sustainable transport solutions for passengers, staff, and partners. In its first phase, the airport will be able to handle 12 million passengers annually with one runway and terminal. By the fourth phase, it will be capable of managing 70 million passengers a year, positioning it as a major regional hub.
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GAIL to Exit US Shale Gas Venture, Invites Bids for Eagle Ford Stake
State-owned GAIL (India) Limited plans to exit its shale gas investment in the United States, following Reliance Industries Ltd and Oil India Ltd in divesting shale assets. The company has invited bids to sell its 20% stake in the Eagle Ford Shale Assets in Texas, with a submission deadline of February 14. The transaction will take effect from January 1, 2025.
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A company source cited low US gas prices as the main reason for the exit, stating that the venture was not generating sufficient profits. GAIL had entered the US shale market in 2011 by acquiring a 20% stake in Carrizo Oil & Gas Inc.’s Eagle Ford Shale acreage for $95 million. The asset covered 20,200 acres, with GAIL controlling 4,040 net acres.
The Eagle Ford asset currently produces 3,681 barrels of oil and 5,368 cubic feet of gas per day. GAIL’s interest includes 92 producing wells and 48 additional drilling locations. The net present value of its stake is estimated at $26.36 million.
This exit follows changes in asset operatorship and aligns with GAIL’s strategy to optimize investments and focus on core gas business operations.
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THINK Gas aims to boost gas share from 6% to 15% with expanded infrastructure
Abhilesh Gupta, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of THINK Gas explained that it’s crucial to address tax optimisation, as natural gas is not part of the GST system. THINK Gas, a leading player in the city gas distribution (CGD) industry, expects its expanded infrastructure to help increase the gas share from 6% to 15% going forward, according to Abhilesh Gupta, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.
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The company believes there should be several CNG dispensing stations, along with pipelines extending to industrial and commercial customers. THINK Gas was established to address and fill this gap.
Gupta said, “We have laid around 1,700 kilometer of steel pipeline, almost 10,000 kilometer of polyethylene pipeline, reaching to each some of the household as well as the industrial customer. We have set up under 470 CNG stations. We have also set up 19 LNG stations, we feel that this infrastructure, which is now ready to serve the customer, will support the vision of taking the gas share from 6 to 15% going forward.”
THINK Gas’ CGD network supplies compressed natural gas for use in vehicles as well as piped natural gas to domestic households, commercial establishments and industries.
When asked about policies to reduce gas costs, Gupta explained that it’s crucial to address tax optimisation, as natural gas is not part of the GST system. When gas is subjected to multiple state taxes, it increases the overall cost, which ultimately impacts the end customer.
Also there is need for further discussions to minimise logistics costs, which also contribute to the final price of gas. He suggested that by focusing on these areas and having ongoing dialogues with regulatory authorities and the Government of India, gas costs could be reduced by as much as 20%, representing a significant decrease.
Previously, the company operated under two brand names: THINK Gas, which focused on the northern part of India, and AG&P Pratham, which operated in the south. After the shareholders’ merger last year, they decided to merge the two brands as well.
THINK Gas and AG&P Pratham have now officially merged and are operating under the single brand name “THINK Gas,” bringing together their City Gas Distribution (CGD) operations in India.
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India Strengthens Global Energy Partnerships at India Energy Week 2025
At the India Energy Week 2025, India signed multiple strategic agreements and MoUs aimed at enhancing energy security, diversifying supply sources, and fostering innovation in the oil and gas sector. Addressing a press conference on the sidelines of the event, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas highlighted these agreements as crucial steps toward a more resilient and sustainable energy future for the country.
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As part of efforts to diversify crude oil imports, BPCL signed an optional term contract with Petrobras, Brazil, to import up to 6 million barrels of crude. Strengthening India’s transition to a natural gas-based economy, IOCL and ADNOC (UAE) signed a USD 7 billion contract to source 1.2 MMTPA LNG for 14 years starting in 2026, while BPCL and ADNOC entered into a five-year LNG offtake agreement for 2.4 MMT, extendable by another five years. Expanding India’s role as a regional energy supplier, IOCL signed its first LNG export agreement with Nepal’s Yogya Holdings, ensuring the delivery of 1,000 metric tons (TMT) annually via cryogenic trucks through Odisha’s Dhamra Terminal.
On the technical front, ONGC selected BP as the Technical Services Provider for the Mumbai High field, India’s largest offshore oilfield. BP will conduct a comprehensive review of field performance, implement technological improvements, and work to stabilize and enhance production. Additionally, EIL signed an MoU with BP Business Solutions India Pvt. Ltd. To collaborate on refining, pipeline operations, and emission reduction technologies.
In offshore exploration, ONGC Videsh Ltd. And Petrobras signed an MoU to jointly participate in upstream oil and gas projects in Brazil, India, and third countries, exploring opportunities in trading, low-carbon solutions, and digitalization. Oil India Limited and Petrobras also signed an MoU for hydrocarbon exploration in India’s deep and ultra-deep offshore basins, aligning with the government’s Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy.
India also took steps toward clean energy with BPCL partnering with Eco Wave Power, Israel, to establish the country’s first wave energy pilot project in Mumbai using wave energy converter technology. In the biofuel sector, BPCL signed an MoU with the National Sugar Institute, Kanpur, to scale up sweet sorghum-based bioethanol production and build capacity for farmers and industry partners.
Further enhancing hydrocarbon trade, BPCL entered into an agreement with Equinor India Pvt. Ltd. for the purchase of LPG (propane and butane).
The Minister emphasized that these agreements reaffirm India’s commitment to securing affordable, sustainable, and diversified energy supplies while fostering global collaborations in cutting-edge energy solutions. These partnerships will help us achieve our energy transition goals and ensure a robust and resilient energy ecosystem for India.
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2102887
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India Energy Week 2025: Common carrier rule opens new avenues for MGL
Ashu Shinghal, managing director of MGL, said that when the sector opens under the Act, they will get at least a 12 per cent return on their investment
Mumbai-headquartered Mahanagar Gas (MGL) is looking to make the most of the new amendments to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) Act, 2006, aimed at ending the monopoly of existing city gas distributors (CGDs) in their respective areas. Promoted by GAIL (India), MGL operates in several areas of Maharashtra.
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Speaking with Business Standard on the sidelines of India Energy Week in New Delhi, Ashu Shinghal, managing director of MGL, said that when the sector opens under the Act, they will get at least a 12 per cent return on their investment.
“We will have an opportunity to go and work in other geographical areas. It doesn’t harm us, but we are in court because the Act needs to be followed as it is written, and it cannot be one-size-fits-all. The Act has the provisions, but the regulations need to be framed in line with that. We are in favour of whatever the Act states because the government has been doing so much for the CGD sector, and we do not want to hinder that development process,” Shinghal said.
Back in 2015, the process of declaring certain CGD areas as common carriers began. However, since the process was not automatic, the regulator, in 2020, created guiding principle regulations based on which individual areas have been declared common carriers.
The Guiding Principles for Declaring City or Local Natural Gas Distribution Networks as Common Carrier or Contract Carrier Regulations, 2020, were notified in September of that year. The ‘common carrier’ principle allows all producers and consumers access to fuel transport infrastructure by appointing independent gas pipeline operators.
The new regulations aim to end the monopolies of CGDs in 54 urban areas where their exclusivity period has already expired. For Delhi and Mumbai, this period ended in 2012. However, courts have called the action ultra vires and pulled up the regulator for acting beyond its legal power and authority.
A series of legal actions initiated by PNGRB against legacy CGD players like Indraprastha Gas and MGL have been struck down in court. However, a long-pending amendment to the PNGRB Act, 2006, expanded last year, will give the sector regulator the legal authority to enforce its plan to reclassify natural gas pipelines as ‘common carriers’ and provide more clarity on handling ongoing litigation, Business Standard reported last year.
“We do not see it as a big game changer. We are ready for it. As the matter is sub judice, we do not want to say much. But it is an opportunity for us to enter other areas, just as it is for others to operate in our area,” Shinghal said.
Regarding potential expansion areas, Shinghal did not specify any but said regions with high industrial and commercial loads would be preferred. “For example, in states like Gujarat, where industrial consumption is high, we will look at similar areas,” he said.
Currently, MGL’s highest growth comes from the industrial and commercial segment, at around 14 per cent year-on-year, Shinghal said. In the compressed natural gas segment, growth is at 10 per cent, followed by piped natural gas at 7 per cent.
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GAIL Partners with Accelera by Cummins to Drive Clean Energy and Green Transition
State-owned GAIL (India) Ltd has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Accelera by Cummins, the zero-emissions division of Cummins Inc., to collaborate on clean energy initiatives and green technology in India. The agreement was formalized during India Energy Week 2025 in New Delhi, GAIL announced in a stock exchange filing.
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The partnership will leverage Accelera’s expertise in new energy solutions and GAIL’s extensive natural gas infrastructure to explore opportunities in hydrogen production, blending, transportation, and storage, supporting India’s energy transition goals. With GAIL advancing its net-zero target from 2040 to 2035, this collaboration marks a significant step in the company’s sustainability efforts. Cummins Inc., known for its innovative powertrain, electric, and hydrogen solutions, aligns with GAIL’s mission to expand clean energy adoption.
GAIL is advancing its green hydrogen initiatives, commissioning a 10 MW Green Hydrogen unit at its Vijaipur plant in April 2024, with an electrolyzer supplied by Accelera by Cummins. The company has also successfully tested hydrogen blending in CNG and PNG networks, with plans to expand this initiative. In the biogas sector, GAIL currently operates a 5 TPD Compressed Biogas (CBG) plant in Ranchi and has ambitious plans to establish 26 more CBG plants across India within the next 3-4 years.
To strengthen its renewable energy portfolio, GAIL has formed strategic partnerships, including a collaboration with Leafiniti Bioenergy to develop 10 CBG plants. Additionally, the company is working with Coal India to produce Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG) in West Bengal. Further expanding its clean energy footprint, GAIL is also part of a joint venture to establish a 500 KLPD grain-based ethanol plant in Rajasthan, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable energy solutions. This collaboration with Accelera by Cummins underscores GAIL’s commitment to spearheading India’s clean energy transition while reinforcing the nation’s net-zero ambitions.
Accelera by Cummins, launched on March 8, 2023, is the zero-emissions technology brand of Cummins Inc., dedicated to accelerating the transition to a sustainable future across various industries. Under the leadership of President Amy Davis, Accelera offers a diverse portfolio of clean energy solutions, including hydrogen fuel cells, battery systems, e-axles, traction drives, and electrolyzers.
In its inaugural year, Accelera achieved significant milestones, such as commencing electrolyzer production in Fridley, Minnesota, supplying a 90-megawatt electrolyzer system for a waste-to-biofuels plant in Quebec, and collaborating with Blue Bird to deploy 1,000 electric school buses in the United States. Additionally, Accelera partnered with Daimler Truck and PACCAR to establish a joint venture aimed at localizing battery cell production in the U.S., with an investment ranging from $2 to $3 billion for a 21-gigawatt-hour factory. These initiatives underscore Accelera’s commitment to providing zero-emission power solutions and supporting the global shift toward decarbonization. GAIL (India) Ltd is the leading state-owned natural gas processing and distribution company in India, playing a pivotal role in the country’s energy sector.
Established in 1984, GAIL operates an extensive pipeline network for transporting natural gas and is involved in the production of petrochemicals, along with the development of renewable energy solutions. As a key player in India’s natural gas industry, GAIL has contributed significantly to the nation’s energy security by providing sustainable, cost-effective solutions across various sectors. The company is also focused on expanding its global presence through strategic partnerships and projects, with an emphasis on innovation and sustainability in its operations. Through its subsidiaries and collaborations, GAIL continues to strengthen its position as a critical component of India’s energy infrastructure.
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Policy Matters/ Gas Pricing/ Others
India’s natural gas use target hinges on higher gas-fired power generation
India’s goal to increase the share of natural gas in its energy mix to 15% by 2030 faces challenges due to high global LNG prices. Lower gas prices are essential for making gas-fired electricity generation competitive, which is crucial for boosting demand. Limited infrastructure and high logistical costs further constrain natural gas consumption.
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India’s plan to boost the share of natural gas in its energy mix hinges on lower global liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices that will make gas-fired electricity generation more competitive, industry officials said this week.
The world’s fourth largest LNG importer aims to raise the share of natural gas in its energy mix to 15% by 2030 from 6.2% currently. That would require annual gas consumption to nearly quadruple by 2030, analysts and industry officials said.
Besides feeding gas-fired electricity plants, natural gas is also used as cooking gas and to power vehicles.
Sandeep Kumar Gupta, chairman of the country’s top gas distributor GAIL (India), expects India’s gas demand to grow about 11% in 2025 – much lower than the levels required to achieve the 2030 target. Demand from the power sector was crucial, he said.
Power plants running on gas have been more expensive than those operating on coal, solar and wind power, resulting in idling of about three-fifth of all gas-fired power stations in the country.
“The power sector, which is currently constrained because of high prices of gas, should also be perhaps using more gas,” Gupta said on Thursday on the sidelines of the India Energy Week.
A major chunk of the locally-produced natural gas is supplied to India’s cooking gas suppliers and fertilizer companies, pushing utilities to resort to expensive LNG imports.
India’s domestic natural gas output is expected to lag behind demand until 2030, doubling the demand for imported LNG, according to the International Energy Agency.
LNG prices need to more than halve to become affordable for India’s power sector and help drive demand growth, Sandeep Jain, executive chairman of Indian Oil Corp’s gas division, said.
Asia spot LNG prices hit a two-month high last week at close to $15 per million British thermal units, tracking a rally in European gas prices.
Coal fuels three-fourth of India’s power generation, while the share of renewables has risen at the expense of natural gas.
The share of natural gas in India’s power generation dropped to 1.9% in 2024, from nearly 5% a decade earlier.
Limited infrastructure to carry gas from terminals, higher logistical and regasification costs are also capping natural gas consumption, company officials said.
Abhilesh Gupta, CEO of city gas distributor THINK Gas said Indian companies pay “multiple layers” of logistical costs, and called “high pipeline transmission charges a big part of the problem”.
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LNG Use / LNG Development and Shipping
GAIL to sell US shale gas projects, IOC secures long-term LNG deal
State-owned gas utility GAIL (India) Ltd has initiated the process to exit its shale gas venture in the United States, mirroring moves by Reliance Industries Ltd and Oil India Ltd. India’s largest gas transportation and marketing company has invited bids to sell its 20 per cent stake in Eagle Ford Shale Assets, Texas, according to a tender document. The deadline for submissions is February 14, with the transaction set to take effect from January 1, 2025.
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A company official cited low US gas prices as the primary reason for the divestment. “We are not making much money there,” the source said at India Energy Week. “If the venture is unprofitable, questions will arise.”
GAIL entered the US shale sector in 2011, acquiring its stake in Nasdaq-listed Carrizo Oil & Gas Inc’s Eagle Ford acreage for $95 million. The asset, spread over 20,200 acres, gave GAIL Global (USA) Inc — its wholly owned subsidiary — 4,040 net acres in four Texas counties. GAIL and its partners had committed around $300 million over five years for development, in addition to GAIL’s acquisition cost of $63.7 million and a $31.3 million carried interest for future drilling.
Currently, the Eagle Ford asset produces 3,681 barrels of oil and 5,368 cubic feet of gas per day. GAIL’s move follows Reliance Industries’ 2021 exit from US shale after selling its last Eagle Ford asset to a Warburg Pincus-backed firm. Earlier, it had divested its Marcellus shale stake. In 2022, Oil India Ltd offloaded its 20 per cent Niobrara shale asset stake in Colorado to Verdad Resources LLC for $25 million.
IOC deal with UAE
Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the nation’s largest oil firm, has signed a long-term deal worth $7-9 billion to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Under the agreement, IOC will receive 1.2 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG from 2026 for 14 years.
“Adnoc Gas has signed a 14-year sales and purchase agreement with Indian Oil Corporation Ltd for the export of up to 1.2 mtpa of LNG, supplied from the Das Island liquefaction facility,” Adnoc Gas said.
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India Energy Week 2025: IOC, BPCL ink pacts with UAE to import LNG
The biggest deal was signed by public sector oil marketing company IOC. It inked an agreement to import LNG from UAE’s Abu Dhabi National Oil Co.
Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) on Thursday signed multibillion dollar pacts with a United Arab Emirates’ (UAE’s) state-owned oil company to import Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) over the next few years as the country gears up to meet the rising natural gas demand.
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The International Energy Agency (IEA) on Wednesday said that the gap between India’s contracted LNG supply and its projected requirement is set to “significantly widen” by 2028, and suggested that the country should carefully plan to ensure supply security and to help gas to compete in a price-sensitive market.
The biggest deal was signed by public sector oil marketing company IOC. It inked an agreement to import LNG from UAE’s Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) on a 14-year contract at the ongoing India Energy Week (IEW) in Delhi.
Valued at $7-9 billion, this deal will ensure IOC receives 1.2 million tonnes per year of LNG from the UAE firm beginning 2026. This agreement converts the previous Heads of Agreement between the parties into a sales and purchase agreement (SPA).
The other public sector firm BPCL also signed a term LNG offtake agreement with ADNOC. It covers procurement of 2.4 million tonnes of LNG over a period of 5 years, starting April 2025. The agreement is extendable by another 5-year with mutual consent.
Meanwhile, French energy giant TotalEnergies signed a deal to sell 400,000 tonnes a year of LNG to Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation Ltd (GPSC) for 10 years starting 2026.
TotalEnergies and the GSPC announced the signing of a long-term sale and purchase agreement (SPA) for 10 years starting in 2026.
Amounting to six cargoes per year, the LNG will be sourced from TotalEnergies’ global portfolio and delivered to terminals on India’s west coast. They will primarily serve GSPC’s industrial customers. It will also supply Indian households for domestic use, businesses, and service stations for vehicles running on compressed natural gas (CNG), such as auto-rickshaws.
The government, meanwhile, is also moving towards adapting sweet sorghum for bioethanol production.
The National Sugar Institute (NSI), Kanpur has successfully demonstrated the potential at its in-house facility. NSI is now seeking an industrial partner to scale up this technology. BPCL has partnered with NSI for establishing production systems, capacity building for farmers, and on-boarding value chain partners. It also focuses on piloting sweet sorghum for juice-based bioethanol production and cost estimation.
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BPCL Secures Major LNG Deal with ADNOC Trading, Linked to Henry Hub
Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) has secured its first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) sourcing contract linked to the Henry Hub Index, marking a significant move to strengthen energy security and support India’s transition to a gascentric economy. The agreement, finalised with ADNOC Trading, a subsidiary of ADNOC Gas, was signed during India Energy Week 2025. BPCL’s Business Head for Gas, Akshay Wadhwa, and ADNOC Gas’s EVP of Sales and Trading, Philippe Khoury, were present at the signing ceremony.
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This medium-to-long-term contract is intended to diversify BPCL’s LNG sourcing portfolio, ensuring reliable and competitive gas supplies to meet India’s growing energy demand. LNG deliveries under this agreement are set to begin in 2025.
The contract strengthens BPCL’s commitment to enhancing its LNG capabilities, aligning with India’s goal of increasing natural gas’s share in its energy mix. The deal also underscores the strategic partnership between BPCL and ADNOC, further fortifying energy ties between India and the UAE.
This agreement represents a pivotal step for BPCL in reinforcing its position in the global LNG market, ensuring sustained energy security and competitiveness in a rapidly evolving energy sector.
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Electric Mobility/ Hydrogen/Bio-Methane
GAIL, Cummins sign MoU for hydrogen and energy transition projects
The company commissioned a 10 MW green hydrogen unit at its plant in Vijaipur, Madhya Pradesh, in April 2024, using an electrolyser from Accelera by Cummins.
GAIL (India) Limited, a Maharatna CPSE under MoPNG and India’s leading natural gas company, and Accelera by Cummins have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on hydrogen and energy transition technologies in India. The agreement was signed at India Energy Week 2025 and aims to explore opportunities in hydrogen production, blending, transportation, and storage, leveraging GAIL’s natural gas infrastructure and Accelera’s expertise in clean energy solutions.
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GAIL has advanced its Scope 1 and Scope 2 net-zero targets from 2040 to 2035. The company commissioned a 10 MW green hydrogen unit at its plant in Vijaipur, Madhya Pradesh, in April 2024, using an electrolyser from Accelera by Cummins. Through its joint venture Avantika, GAIL conducted pilot-scale studies blending hydrogen into city gas distribution networks, reaching a 5% blend in pipeline natural gas.
Cummins Inc. is engaged in sustainability and energy transition solutions, with a portfolio covering advanced diesel, natural gas, electric and hybrid powertrains, hydrogen production technologies, and fuel cells. The MoU with GAIL will facilitate hydrogen’s application across transport, power, and steel sectors, as well as its use as a mono-fuel or in blends with LNG, CNG, and natural gas. The agreement will also focus on infrastructure development for hydrogen production, transportation, and storage.
GAIL has been expanding its clean energy initiatives, setting up a 5 TPD compressed biogas (CBG) plant in Ranchi, with plans for 26 more CBG plants in the next three to four years. A joint venture with Leafiniti Bioenergy is working on 10 CBG plants, while another JV aims to establish a 500 KLPD grain-based ethanol plant in Rajasthan. Additionally, GAIL has partnered with Coal India for synthetic natural gas production in West Bengal.
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Bengaluru scientists develop new catalyst for making green hydrogen
Hydrogen is a promising clean fuel that can be produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity, a process called electrolysis.
Bengaluru: Scientists at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) in Bengaluru have developed a new alloy-based catalyst that makes hydrogen production more efcient and affordable.
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This discovery could help reduce dependence on expensive materials like platinum, bringing us closer to cleaner energy solutions.
Hydrogen is a promising clean fuel that can be produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity, a process called electrolysis. However, current methods rely on costly catalysts, such as pure platinum, to speed up this reaction.
Researchers have been searching for cheaper and more efcient alternatives.
Traditional alloys contain two or more, with one being dominant. High-entropy alloys (HEAs) are different — they consist of ve or more elements in almost equal amounts. This unique composition makes them highly stable and efcient for various applications, including hydrogen production. However, creating pure HEA nanoparticles without impurities is a signicant challenge.
A team of scientists at CeNS, in collaboration with Prashant Singh from Ames National Laboratory, US, developed a novel HEA catalyst consisting of platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), and manganese (Mn).
Researchers used two different methods to create the HEA: Electrodeposition — a room-temperature process similar to electroplating method; and Solvothermal Synthesis — a method of producing chemical compounds, in which a solvent, containing chemical agents, is put under high pressure and temperature in an autoclave. The new HEA catalyst uses seven times less platinum than traditional catalysts, provides higher efciency than pure platinum, works well in alkaline seawater conditions, and stays stable for over 100 hours without degrading.
Ashutosh K Singh, the corresponding author of the work and scientist at CeNS, said that through the electrodeposition method, the cost of the new catalyst could fall to 20% of the cost of conventional catalysts.
“The electrodeposition method is also friendly for scaling up for industrial applications and we have produced a pure sample of this alloy. The next step is to scale up the tech and use it in a hydrogen fuel cell,” Singh added.
This research was funded by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) which is administered by the Department of Science and Technology.
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US-based Plug Power looks to set up ‘multi-gigawatt’ green hydrogen electrolyser plants in India by 2030 end
Mumbai: Plug Power, a US-based green hydrogen fuel cell manufacturer, is looking forward to setting up multi-gigawatt electrolyser manufacturing plants in India before 2030-end depending on demand and cost drivers given by the Indian government, its President, Sanjay Shrestha, told ETEnergyWorld.
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“We will be excited to be doing multi-gigawatt electrolyser projects in India before the end of 2030 depending on demand and cost drivers given by the Indian government,” he said in an exclusive interaction.
In January this year, the Nasdaq-listed company closed a $1.7-billion loan guarantee from the US Department of Energy.
“We are happy to collaborate with a big player locally in India who understands the market here better than we do and has much bigger reach in the local market so that we can get this industry jumpstarted by driving cost down, and bringing green hydrogen at economic parity much sooner,” said Shrestha.
He said that company is currently evaluating and watching how the India market grows.
“As we see big projects starting to unfold in India, and if we see the opportunity here becoming substantially larger then we are open to strategic collaborations with local partners to help drive cost and industry growth faster… Hydrogen will play a big part in India’s increasing energy demand in terms of long duration storage perspective,” he said.
Shrestha added that the Indian government should focus on creating a visible demand mandate which would eventually lead to bringing green hydrogen prices at parity to grey. Awarding subsidies as provided in the US as production tax credit of $3 per kg.
“India and its role in the energy industry is strategic in nature. In India, we have 5-MW projects each with NTPC, RIL… Supplied stacks for electrolyzers installed by Adani Group, and for a large automotive player in the country,” he mentioned.
The firm has a 1.2-GW electrolyser factory in Rochester, US, which Shrestha said can be doubled with minimal investment.
“We don’t actually have to spend a lot of capital to support this big global opportunity. By the end of this decade, we may have a stack assembly or stack plant in Europe, and electrolyser manufacturing stations in Australia and India,” he said.
He added that other than building their green hydrogen plants, there was not a lot of capital that they needed to invest to grow as a company. “We don’t need to spend our capex other than on these plants,” he said.
“We have over 60,000 fuel cell systems in the field, and they have run over one billion hours. We have 319 hydrogen fuelling stations that we have built on behalf of our customers such as Amazon and Walmart, probably more than anyone else in the world. We are building PEM-based large-scale hydrogen production plants and have plans in Asia, Europe, the US,” he said.
The company has built the world’s first and largest liquid green hydrogen plant in Georgia and is in the process of finalising the work done for a 100-MW PEM electrolyser in Europe, informed Shrestha.
“Our next green hydrogen plant will be built in Texas, US, which will be three times bigger than the plant in Georgia. It will have over 750-mmt capacity. We now have electrolysers running in five different continents including in India as well,” he said.
He added that they have activity going on in South Korea, India, Australia and going forward North America and Europe will be their big focus.
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Accelera to supply 100 MW PEM electrolyzer for bp’s Lingen green hydrogen project
Accelera by Cummins, the zero-emissions business segment of Cummins, will supply a 100-megawatt (MW) proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer system for bp’s Lingen green hydrogen project in Germany. This project, bp’s largest hydrogen production plant to date, will utilize Accelera’s advanced HyLYZER PEM electrolyzer technology.
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The hydrogen-generation system set to power bp’s Lingen project will consist of 20 PEM HyLYZER-1000 electrolyzer units — the largest electrolyzer system assembled by Accelera to date — and is being manufactured in Accelera’s new electrolyzer plant in Guadalajara, Spain. Once fully commissioned in 2027, the 100 MW electrolyzer system will produce up to 11,000 tons of green hydrogen per year.
“This project marks a signicant milestone for Accelera and the energy transition in Germany and Europe,” said Andreas Lippert, Vice President and General Manager of Electrolyzers for Accelera. “Partnering on this 100 MW system with an industry leader like bp underscores our ability to deliver innovative, industrial-scale solutions that move the needle on our customers’ decarbonization goals and continue to grow the green hydrogen economy.”
The project will utilize Accelera’s most powerful PEM electrolyzer technology, which features enhanced eciency, scalability and optimized system design.
“Lingen green hydrogen shows how large-scale hydrogen initiatives can generate regional economic benets, support our partners’ sustainability goals, and accelerate the transition to low-carbon industrial operations,” said Felipe Arbelaez, Senior Vice President for Hydrogen and Carbon Capture & Storage at bp.
“Our Lingen renery has provided German industry with the energy it needs for more than 70 years. Now, through this project, we’re evolving its role to deliver low-carbon hydrogen that will help decarbonize both our operations and regional industry.”
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Advait Energy signs MoU with Haryana City Gas for 2000 MTPA green hydrogen plant
New Delhi: Advait Energy Transitions Limited (AETL), formerly known as Advait Infratech Limited, has signed an off-taker Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Haryana City Gas Distribution (Bhiwadi) Limited to establish a 2000 MTPA Green Hydrogen Plant. The agreement marks a significant step in expanding green hydrogen applications and strengthening clean energy infrastructure.
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As part of the agreement, AETL will supply 15MW alkaline-based electrolysers and provide turnkey Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) solutions along with Balance of Plant (BoP) systems. The company will also manage the operations and maintenance of the plant for one year post-commissioning. Additionally, the collaboration includes consultancy and advisory services to assess green hydrogen applications for industrial and commercial use, with a focus on potential developments in green ammonia production and carbon credits.
Shalin Seth, Founder & Managing Director, Advait Energy Transitions Limited, said, “This agreement with Haryana City Gas Distribution is a pivotal step in our journey toward fostering a sustainable energy ecosystem. By combining cutting-edge technology with a forward-thinking approach, we aim to unlock the potential of green hydrogen as a viable solution for industrial and commercial energy needs. Together, we are setting the foundation for a cleaner and more resilient energy future.”
The partnership aligns with AETL’s broader strategy of contributing to the energy transition by delivering green hydrogen solutions. The project aims to expand clean energy applications and drive industrial sustainability while advancing India’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions.
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NTPC Green Energy, Bharat Light and Power sign MoU for green hydrogen off-take
New Delhi: NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL) and Bharat Light and Power Private Limited (BLP) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on February 19, 2025, to accelerate green energy initiatives and support India’s carbon-neutral goals.
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The MoU was exchanged between DMR Panda, Chief General Manager and Head of Hydrogen, NTPC, and T P Chopra, President and CEO, BLP, in the presence of senior officials from both organizations at the SCOPE Complex, New Delhi.
The agreement aims to jointly explore the off-take of green hydrogen and its derivatives from NGEL and its affiliates to third parties. The collaboration will also focus on opportunities for selling captured carbon or biogenic carbon from NGEL’s operations. As part of the partnership, NGEL, either directly or through its affiliates, will establish the required infrastructure for green hydrogen production, including renewable energy projects, and manage regular operations under the Build-Own-Operate (BOO) model to fulfill its Net Zero commitments.
The initiative aligns with the government’s efforts to promote green hydrogen and carbon capture technologies, reinforcing India’s transition toward a sustainable energy ecosystem.
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Natural Gas / Transnational Pipelines/ Others
US: Trump Vows Completion of Constitution Pipeline For New Yorkers
President Donald Trump vowed to complete the long-stalled Constitution Pipeline that would transport natural gas to New York, saying it could slash energy prices in northeastern US states by as much as 70%.
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“We are going to get this done, and once we start construction, we’re looking at anywhere from nine to 12 months, if you can believe it,” Trump told reporters Friday after signing an executive order on energy in the Oval Office. “It will bring down the energy prices in New York and in all of New England by 50, 60, 70%.”
Williams Cos. in 2020 scrapped its planned Constitution Pipeline after New York blocked the project over the state’s water-quality concerns. It’s not clear that the pipeline would cut energy prices as drastically as Trump promised, yet it would open up domestic natural gas flows to a region that has significant supply constraints today.
Trump is making a bid for a revival, telling reporters he would be meeting with state governors from the area.
“We have most of the permits — almost all of the permits,” Trump said. “All of the governors want this to happen, and I think it’s going to happen. It’s now going to happen.”
This isn’t the first time Trump has put his weight behind the Constitution Pipeline. During his first term, the Trump administration sought to curtail the authority states have under the Clean Water Act to thwart energy projects they deem a threat.
The Constitution Pipeline has taken on symbolic status for some energy advocates who have chafed at state opposition to oil and gas infrastructure. Although many parts of the US northeast sit next to some of the country’s most bountiful natural gas reserves, limited pipeline capacity has prevented much of that supply from making it to them. Constitution was designed to transport Appalachian gas from Pennsylvania to New York.
Trump did not say exactly how the pipeline would be authorized — or if Williams Cos. would build it. Spokespeople for the company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Trump has already signed an order declaring the US is in the grip of an energy emergency that could help propel the venture. That order, issued just hours after Trump took office last month, specifically mentions energy constraints in the northeast US.
Read More: Trump Seizes Wartime Powers in Battle for More Fossil Fuels
Trump on Friday also floated the possibility of using eminent domain authority to get the pipeline built, if necessary.
“We’d rather not have to go eminent domain,” he said. “We’ll do that if we have to, but hopefully we won’t have to do that.”
— With assistance from Emma Sanchez
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US: Howard Energy Partners acquires operating interest in Midship natural gas pipeline
The 200-mile FERC-regulated natural gas transmission pipeline lies in the SCOOP and STACK plays in Oklahoma’s Anadarko basin. Howard Energy Partners (HEP), San Antonio, Tex., closed on a deal to acquire equity interests in the Midship pipeline from a subsidiary of Cheniere Energy Inc.
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The 200-mile FERC-regulated natural gas transmission pipeline lies in the SCOOP and STACK plays in Oklahoma’s Anadarko basin. Beginning in Kingfisher County, Okla., and terminating near Bennington, Okla., the 36-in. Midship pipeline connects natural gas production from the SCOOP/STACK to US Gulf Coast and Southeast demand markets via interconnects.
HEP is assuming operatorship of the Midship Pipeline, which has a current capacity of 1.1 bcfd, expandable to 1.4 bcfd.
The deal’s closing comes on the heels of another, closed in January, in which Howard Energy Partners purchased EPIC Midstream Holdings LP’s ethylene pipeline through the acquisition of EPIC Olefins LP and EPIC Olefins GP LLC (OGJ Online, Jan. 10, 2025).
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Nigeria: Algeria, Nigeria & Niger Sign Agreements to Advance Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline Project
Three West-African countries: Algeria, Nigeria, and Niger signed agreements Tuesday aimed at accelerating the development of the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP) project. The agreements, signed during the 4th ministerial meeting of the TSGP steering committee, include a contract to update the project’s feasibility study, a compensation agreement, and a non-disclosure agreement among the energy companies of the three nations.
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Nigerian Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Ekperikpe Ekpo, Algerian Energy Minister Mohamed Arkab, and Nigerien Petroleum Minister Sahabi Oumarou signed the feasibility study contract.
Sonatrach CEO Rachid Hachichi, Executive Vice President Olalekan Ogunleye of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC LTD), and General Director Ali Seibou of Nigerien Oil Company SONIDEP signed the non-disclosure agreement and compensation agreement.
Arkab described the agreement as a “notable progress” during the signing ceremony, highlighting how it showed their “collective commitment to achieving the objectives of the TSGP and bringing it to fruition.”
He said the revised feasibility assessment will make clear how to “accelerate the realization of this important project within a reasonable timeframe and at competitive costs.”
The TSGP aims to establish a pipeline transporting natural gas from Nigeria, through Niger, to Algeria, facilitating exports to European and other international markets.
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US: New Pipeline Will Bring More Permian Gas to Texas Industrial Corridor
Ongoing increases in production and consumption of shale gas continue adding carbon emissions to the atmosphere as industrial power demand soars and Earth barrels past its warming targets. A Texas utility company this week announced an agreement to pipe an additional 1.5 billion cubic feet of Permian Basin gas to the Port Arthur industrial corridor.
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Entergy Texas, a regional utility, will partner with pipeline giant Kinder Morgan and Golden Pass LNG on the $1.7 billion, 216-mile Trident Intrastate Pipeline to meet surging power demand in Southeast Texas.
The project, and others like it, will introduce more carbon emissions into the atmosphere, even as Earth barrels past its warming targets. It opens doors to further increases in Permian Basin gas production, which is already at record highs but generally constrained by pipeline capacity, and enables further growth in Port Arthur’s industrial sector, one of the nation’s largest complexes of refineries and chemical plants.
“We believe our Trident Intrastate Pipeline project is critical to meeting rising power, industrial and LNG demand in Texas and are excited to work with Entergy Texas and Golden Pass LNG,” said Sital Mody, president of gas pipelines at Kinder Morgan, in a press release distributed Tuesday evening.
The pipeline is expected to begin operations in early 2027, aligning with the start of major industrial projects in the area, according to the release. Natural gas is processed at large plants into plastics and chemicals, burnt in furnaces to power industrial processes or super-cooled and exported as LNG.
It will also fuel local power plants to meet surging electrical demands. Entergy Texas, which provides electricity to half a million customers in 12 counties, estimates that it must increase its energy supply 40 percent by 2028 to serve its growing customer base. That’s in line with statewide projections that see electrical demand across Texas doubling in six years, driven by data centers and other large industrial consumers.
“By securing a reliable and sustainable fuel supply, we are building the foundation for a stronger energy future,” said Entergy Texas CEO Eliecer Viamontes.
The Trident Intrastate Pipeline will meet pipelines from the Permian Basin at a transfer hub west of Houston, then carry the shale gas around Southeast Texas and to Port Arthur.
It’s one of several major gas pipeline projects in recent years that are paving the way for higher output from West Texas. The 580-mile Matterhorn Express pipeline began operating late last year, carrying 2.5 billion cubic feet of gas per day to the transfer hub west of Houston.
Production and combustion of natural gas produce carbon emissions that warm the global climate. The gas mixture contains primarily methane, a greenhouse gas 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide in the short term.
A 2024 study published in the journal Nature identified widespread leakage of methane from natural gas infrastructure, including wells, storage tanks, pipelines and compressor stations. Natural gas also produces carbon dioxide when burned.
American production of natural gas has surged since the revolution in hydraulic fracturing, doubling between 2005 and 2023. It has helped to reduce nationwide carbon emissions by replacing coal for power generation in many cases. But, where gas meets new demands rather than replacing old supplies, it adds additional carbon to the atmosphere, intensifying a global climate crisis.
The Trident Intrastate Pipeline is designed for an eventual expansion to 2.8 billion cubic feet of gas delivered per day.
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UK: Gas pipeline services firms alerts administrators
HAC Technical Gas Services, along with its sister company Medical Piped Gases, has posted a notice of intention to appoint an administrators via law firm Freeths. The move gives the companies around two weeks of protection from creditor action while they try and find a way forward.
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HAC provides planned preventative maintenance packages for the servicing of medical, laboratory and industrial gas pipelines, while Medical Piped Gases specialises in the installation, testing and commissioning of medical, laboratory and industrial gas pipeline systems.
The firms operate on a national basis.
In it latest available accounts, made up to November 30 2023, HAC employed 36 people, while Medical Piped Gases had a workforce of 10.
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Iran: Iran launches pilot project to extract, purify helium from natural gas for first time
The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) says the Islamic Republic has launched a pilot project for extracting and purifying helium from natural gas for the first time, praising the move as a “strategic step” for the country. Mohammad Eslami made the announcement during the inauguration and operational launch of the project in the Iranian capital of Tehran on Wednesday.
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“This is a very joyous day, and I thank Almighty God for the valuable efforts of our colleagues and the support team who played a role in the series of activities of the organization, during which we were able to unveil the pilot project to extract and purify helium from natural gas for the first time,” Eslami said.
“Today, we witnessed the opening and commissioning of the pilot project to extract and purify helium from natural gas. After the completion of the project and the establishment of the first factory to churn out this product, Iran will join the list of countries that produce purified helium from natural gas,” he added.
Pointing to the AEOI’s roadmap prepared in coordination with the Oil Ministry, Eslami said, “We will work to build a plant with the specified design capacity.”
Iran’s nuclear chief underlined, “In complementary steps, we can turn to the export of this product and make larger investments. In this way, the country can benefit from the income share and the domestic and export market within the framework of the knowledge-based economy.”
Eslami stressed that the technical know-how of the project was developed in collaboration with an Iranian university, with all necessary components and equipment manufactured by the AEOI and supplied through the country’s domestic engineering network.
He also said the amount of extracted and purified helium will meet Iran’s annual demand, obviating the need for imports, with the Islamic Republic also planning for exports in the future.
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Nigeria: CNG adoption: Nipco converts 15,000 vehicles
Nipco Gas Limited has announced the conversion of 15,000 vehicles to run on Compressed Natural Gas, adding that the firm has also received Gas Distribution Licences from the Federal Government. It said the government issued the GDL to Nipco Gas through the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
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The company’s Managing Director, Nagendra Verma, disclosed this to journalists in Lagos, as he noted that the milestone highlights the firm’s pioneering role in the sub-sector and strengthens investor confidence in Nigeria’s gas industry.
He said, “The exclusivity period of 25 years granted under these licences prevents infrastructure duplication, ensuring efficiency and national resource optimisation.
“Gas Distribution Licenses awarded to Nipco Gas Ltd include 1. Ibadan Axis (Ogere-Ibadan-Oluyole-Olorisaoko-Asejire-Ajoda) – Nipco Gas/NGML. 2. Benin City – Nipco Gas. 3. Lekki Free Trade Zone – Nipco Gas/NGML. 4. Kara-Sagamu-Abeokuta-Ibadan Axis (Sagamu Interchange-Ibafo-Isheri-Otedola Bridge) – Nipco Gas/NGML.
“With these awards Nipco Gas Ltd now stands as Nigeria’s largest indigenous licensed gas distribution company. This achievement is a testament to our unwavering commitment and the continuous support of stakeholders like you.”
Verma said the company’s operational performance has been exceptional, with significant strides in supply chain efficiency, expansion of CNG infrastructure, customer satisfaction, and an increased market share.
“We have successfully commissioned several CNG stations across Abuja, Lagos, Edo, Delta, Ogun, Oyo, Kogi, and Akwa Ibom states. Our joint venture with NNPC Gas Marketing Limited (NGML) has strengthened industrial gas supply, particularly in the Lekki and Lagos-Ibadan corridors.
“Nipco Gas has entered into an agreement with Delta State very recently to construct a CNG station and CNG conversion workshop initially in Asaba. We are hoping to increase the number of CNG stations and conversion workshops in Delta State with the support of the government.”
Verma noted that Delta State has provided the land for this facility, describing it as a very proactive and welcoming step. “We are sure that with such a type of public-private partnership, it will provide speed to the Presidential CNG initiative,” he stated.
Verma added, “We are actively working with PCNGI to increase the availability of CNG conversion kits and workshops. By forging partnerships with local and international suppliers, we are committed to making conversion kits more affordable and efficient. Educating Nigerians on the benefits and safety of CNG remains our top priority, and we count on the media to play a pivotal role in this effort.”
https://punchng.com/cng-adoption-nipco-converts-15000-vehicles/
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Natural Gas / LNG Utilization / Bio-LNG
Bermuda: Golar LNG Completes Exit from LNG Shipping to Focus on FLNG Sector
Golar LNG reports it has executed agreements to see the company’s final LNG carrier, Golar Arctic making the end of of its operations in the segment. Despite strong demand in the LNG carrier segment, the company believes there are stronger opportunities in the FLNG (floating liquefied natural gas) as it redirects all of its focus to that segment.
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The sale price for the vessel which was built in 2003, is $24 million before transaction-related expenses and it is unencumbered. Golar Arctic has a capacity of 140,000 cbm and is a stream turbine vessel, a growing rarity in the industry. The vessel reportedly offloaded its last cargo in Taichung, Taiwan over a week ago and its AIS signal shows it is anchored off Malacca City, Malaysia awaiting orders. Golar reports the transaction is expected to close, and the vessel is to be handed over to its new owner, within Q1 2025.
Golar, which started its life at Gotaas Larsen in 1946 was an early entrant into the LNG market after having made investments in other segments including an earlier investor in the cruise ship business. Gotaas Larsen in the 1960s acquired Eastern Steamship Lines, an early cruise pioneer from Miami, and was the third investor joining Wilhelmsen and Skaugen in Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.
Gotaas-Larsen entered the LNG shipping market, ordering the LNG carrier Hilli in 1970 and became Golar LNG in 2001. It then embarked on its first significant LNG carrier newbuilding program. Efforts to develop its first FLNG began a decade later in 2012 and by 2024 they reported the company was down to just two gas carriers.
“The sale of the Golar Arctic marks the conclusion of Golar’s planned exit from the LNG shipping segment, 50 years after taking delivery of our first LNG carrier in 1975. Over the last 50 years LNG shipping has been the foundation for Golar’s pioneering maritime LNG infrastructure advances, including FSRUs and FLNGs,” said Golar CEO Karl Fredrik Staubo.
The company’s other remaining LNG carrier, Fuji LNG (115,000 cbm) was acquired in 2023 with the intent to convert the ship. She discharged her final cargo as an LNG carrier in January 2025. Chief Technical Officer at Golar LNG, Morten Skjong, reports she will be the donor vessel for Golar LNG’s third FLNG conversion (the Mk II FLNG). She arrived earlier today at Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore to start the conversion. They expect she will be available starting in Q4 2027 becoming the company’s fourth FLNG.
“Golar’s transition into a focused FLNG infrastructure company is now complete. We look forward to expanding our market-leading FLNG position,” said Karl Fredrik Staubo.
In January 2025, Golar LNG also reported it had entered into an agreement to sell its shares in Avenir LNG to Stolt-Nielsen Gas for approximately $40 million. Golar along with Stolt Nielsen and Höegh built Avenir LNG into one of the largest small-scale LNG shipping companies. Avenir has a fleet of five LNG bunker/supply ships with two more under construction. The sale was a further part of Golar LNG’s refocusing to its FLNG business.
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Nigeria behind as global shipping sees 50% surge in LNG-powered vessels
Nigerian shipowners are behind in the global push for decarbonisation, even as the shipping industry recorded a 50 per cent increase in vessels using alternative fuel propulsion in 2024.
Most of the new ships are designed to burn liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel. Despite Nigeria’s position as a major LNG exporter, local shipowners have struggled to capitalise on the rise of LNG-powered vessels.
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Industry analysts attribute this lag to a lack of investment, outdated fleet technology and regulatory challenges, leaving Nigeria absent from this crucial global shift.
This has raised concerns about the country’s role in the maritime industry’s decarbonisation efforts as local shipowners risk falling behind in the drive for greener and more efficient shipping, potentially losing their competitive edge in the international market.
Meanwhile, Ghana has begun developing its National Action Plan (NAP) to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from shipping, aligning with the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) GHG Strategy.
Spearheaded by the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) in collaboration with the IMO’s GreenVoyage2050 Programme, the NAP aims to cut emissions, promote sustainable shipping, and enhance the resilience of the maritime industry.
Speaking at an event in Qatar, the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, emphasised that LNG is not just a transition fuel but also a fuel in transition.
He highlighted the need for the sector to address technological concerns and assess LNG’s evolving role in the journey toward decarbonisation. Dominguez commended Hamad Port in Qatar for its commitment to reducing emissions.
“One key aspect is how the port is already monitoring emissions from ships daily and tracking emissions across its entire operations to improve its green credentials,” he noted. He also confirmed that the IMO remains on track to deliver the regulatory framework necessary to support global shipping’s decarbonisation goals.
“This progress aligns with the Revised Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Strategy, with mid-term no measures expected to be finalized at the crucial MEPC 83 meeting in April 2025. These measures will then move toward formal adoption later in the year,” he stated.
Addressing the economic implications of decarbonisation, Dominguez refrained from endorsing any specific proposal but stressed the importance of continued dialogue among IMO member states and industry stakeholders.
“What is encouraging is the good conversations that member states, together with stakeholders, continue to have to reach an agreement, one that addresses concerns while ensuring we meet the goals set in our strategy,” he said.
As the regulatory pressures mount, Dominguez said the shipping industry faces increasing demands to align with the IMO’s decarbonisation roadmap and accelerate the transition towards greener maritime operations.
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Singapore’s bio-LNG supplier comes on board SEA-LNG coalition
Singapore-headquartered bio-LNG supplier Straits Bio-LNG has joined the coalition to make ‘real strides’ in promoting LNG as a practical solution for shipping decarbonization. Straits Bio-LNG is currently in the advanced stage of testing breaking down Empty Fruit Bunch (EFB) by an established biological process with high enzyme concentration in its R&D facility in Malaysia.
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The company is also expected to play ‘a critical role’ in furthering bio-LNG expansion at scale to meet the demand.
Yiyong He, Director at Straits Bio-LNG, said: “We’re firmly convinced in the viability of the LNG pathway to decarbonise the shipping industry. With its very low carbon intensity and improving commerciality, liquified biomethane will be a critical piece of the puzzle for decarbonising the sector. By joining SEA-LNG, we’re proud to be part of a collection of first movers making real strides to make the LNG pathway a tangible reality today.”
LNG bunkering volumes have grown significantly in key bunkering hubs as more LNG-fueled vessels have entered into operation. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) saw a four-fold increase in 2024 to almost 340,000 tonnes. Owning to the growing demand, Straits Bio-LNG declared that 250,000 tonnes of bio-LNG will be available yearly in response.
Peter Keller, Chairman of SEA-LNG, added: “The Port of Singapore is the largest global bunkering hub. As seen in our View from the Bridge report, 2024 saw record growth in LNG and liquified biomethane bunkering, but we need more fuel to meet upcoming demand. The use of liquefied biomethane as a marine fuel can reduce GHG emissions by up to 80% compared to marine diesel on a full well-to-wake basis. When produced from the anaerobic digestion of waste materials, such as manure, POME or EFB, methane that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere is captured, resulting in negative emissions of up to -190% compared with diesel.”
An independent study by the Maritime Energy and Sustainable Development Centre of Excellence at Nanyang Technical University in Singapore found that pure bio-LNG could cover up to 13% of the total energy demand for shipping fuels in 2050, rising to 63% for a 20% blending ratio.
The MPA recently launched an Expression of Interest (EOI) to explore scalable solutions for sea-based LNG reloading to complement the existing onshore LNG bunkering storage and jetty capacities and the supply of e/bio-methane as marine fuel in the Port of Singapore.
https://www.offshore-energy.biz/singapores-bio-lng-supplier-comes-on-board-sea-lng-coalition/
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Global LNG Development
US: Trump approves LNG exports, creates energy council to boost US oil, gas
WASHINGTON – U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration said on Friday it has granted a liquefied natural gas export license to the Commonwealth LNG project in Louisiana, the first approval of LNG exports after former President Joe Biden paused them early last year.
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The exports are approved to go to markets in Asia and Europe.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright, whose agency is responsible for approving the shipments, said exporting U.S. LNG “strengthens the U.S. economy and supports American jobs while bolstering energy security around the world.”
The U.S. is trying to increase its LNG exports to help reduce Europe’s dependency on Russian gas after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine three years ago.
Trump ordered a lifting of the freeze on LNG export approvals the day he came into office for a second time on January 20.
Commonwealth LNG, which has waited longer than any other company for its permit, wants to build a 9.5 million metric ton per annum export plant in Louisiana to sell to countries that do not have a free trade agreement with the U.S.
“Today’s actions demonstrate that President Trump is prioritizing the American energy industry and we are both pleased and grateful to have achieved these important regulatory objectives,” said Commonwealth CEO Farhad Ahrabi.
The company is expecting to make a final investment decision in September 2025 as a result of the license and subject to regulatory approval. Commonwealth expects first LNG production from the project in early 2029.
Two other LNG companies, Cheniere (LNG.N), opens new tab and Energy Transfer, have said they plan to move full speed ahead with their plans to export the fuel.
U.S. LNG exports are expected to double before the end of the decade, based on approvals that had been granted before Biden’s pause.
That has raised environmentalists’ worries about the LNG boom’s potential to boost carbon emissions, while some manufacturers and fuel-dependent industries are concerned it might spike domestic gas prices.
Trump also signed an executive order in the Oval Office on Friday creating a new energy council to be led by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, which will seek to expand U.S. output of oil and gas. The U.S. is already the world’s largest producer of those fossil fuels.
The President commented on how he plans to boost drilling and said more than 600 million acres of offshore federal waters are now open to oil and gas development, after Biden had taken them off the table.
Trump said he was working on getting approval for the Constitution natural gas pipeline that would bring gas from Pennsylvania’s drilling fields to New York, in order to bring down energy prices in the region.
Williams Cos canceled the pipeline in 2020 following opposition from politicians and environmentalists in New York, and it is uncertain how it could be approved.
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Taiwan: Evergreen splashes out $3 billion on new LNG dual-fuel containerships
Taiwanese container shipping company Evergreen Marine Corporation has placed an order worth around $3 billion for new LNG dual-fuel containerships at South Korean and Chinese shipyards.According to the company’s stock exchange files from February 12, eleven vessels with a capacity of 24,000 TEUs were ordered.
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Five containerships will be built by CSSC Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) in China while the remaining six units will be constructed by Hanwha Ocean in South Korea.
As disclosed, Evergreen will pay around $265 million and $295 million per unit, totaling up to approximately $1.77 billion for six vessels at Hanwha Ocean and around $1.47 billion for five containerships at GSI.
The new containerships will have LNG dual-fuel propulsion, with deliveries expected to commence around 2028.
With the latest order, the Taiwanese shipowner made a switch from methanol-fueled containerships ordered in 2023 and 2024.
In 2023, Evergreen ordered 24 methanol dual-fuel 16,000 TEU boxships, scheduled for delivery between 2026 and 2027. The construction deal was divided between industry major Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), and Nihon Shipyard, a joint venture between Japan Marine United Corporation (JMU) and Imabari Shipbuilding.
Last year, the shipping company booked six 2,400 TEU methanol dual-fuel containerships in China, continuing its efforts to decarbonize operations.
The Sub-Panamax vessels will be built by CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Company on behalf of Italia Marittima S.p.A. (ITS), a subsidiary of Evergreen Marine.
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Japan: Tokyo Gas Invests in Philippine LNG Sector
Tokyo Gas Co. Ltd. has acquired a 20 percent stake in FGEN LNG Corp., which owns one of two operational liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminals in the Philippines. The FGEN LNG facility in Batangas province, south of Manila, “marks Tokyo Gas’ first investment in a commercially operational overseas LNG terminal project”, the Japanese company said in an online statement.
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It said it had already helped with the development of the terminal, completed 2023, via earlier agreements with First Gen Corp., the 80 percent local owner of FGEN LNG.
“Tokyo Gas will leverage its extensive expertise in the optimal operation of LNG terminals, accumulated over many years in Japan, to support the operation and maintenance of the Terminal”, Tokyo Gas said.
The facility regasifies LNG for feeding into First Gen’s gas-fired power plants, which have a total generating capacity of 2,107 megawatts, according to First Gen.
“This subscription will deepen our partnership and enhance synergy that will boost our efforts in support of the Philippines’ energy security and stability, even as we all pursue decarbonization,” Giles Puno, vice chair and chief executive of FGEN LNG and president of First Gen, said in a separate statement.
Tokyo Gas added, “In the Philippines, robust economic growth and population increase are expected to drive higher demand for electricity”.
“By participating in the Terminal project, Tokyo Gas aims to contribute to the expansion of natural gas utilization and the establishment of an LNG value chain in the country”, it said.
Last month President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed a law to establish a downstream gas industry in the Southeast Asian country. The legislation aims to raise the share of gas in the domestic energy mix and position the archipelago as an LNG transshipment hub in the Asia-Pacific.
The Philippine Natural Gas Industry Development Act seeks to “develop natural gas as a reliable fuel for power plants capable of addressing the peaking, mid-merit, and baseload demand of the country to help achieve energy security, while progressively transitioning to renewable energy sources”, states the law, published on the government’s Official Gazette and the Senate’s website.
The government shall also facilitate the development of “non-power end-uses of natural gas which include commercial, industrial, residential, and transport applications that promote fuel diversity”, the law says.
The law prioritizes locally-produced gas over imports so long as this restriction “is consistent with the State’s policy of ensuring energy security and consumer welfare”, as stated in the law.
However, the coal-reliant Philippines has only one active gas field out of two commercial discoveries, according to the Philippine Department of Energy (DOE). And Malampaya, offshore Palawan island, is depleting. Co-developer Shell PLC exited the field 2022.
On the other hand, the DOE has approved several LNG import terminal projects. Two have been completed, in 2023, based on news information from the DOE. Besides the FGEN LNG terminal, the other is owned by Singapore-based AG&P and also located in Batangas.
https://www.rigzone.com/news/tokyo_gas_invests_in_philippine_lng_sector-19-feb-2025-179676-article/
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LNG as a Marine Fuel/Shipping
Japan: NYK’s green fleet grows as JMU delivers new LNG dual-fuel Capesize bulker
Japanese shipping giant Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) has welcomed a liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered dual-fuel dry bulk carrier SG Twilight constructed by compatriot shipbuilding player Japan Marine United Corporation (JMU).
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As disclosed, the delivery ceremony for the 210,933 dwt Capesize bulker was held on February 14, 2025, at JMU’s Tsu shipyard in Mie prefecture. The newbuilding has an overall length of 299.99 meters, a breadth of 50 meters, a depth of 25 meters and a draft of 18.43 meters, with a gross tonnage of 110,334 GT.
By using LNG instead of conventional heavy fuel oil, the NOx III-compliant vessel is expected to emit practically no sulfur oxides (SOx) and cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by approximately 25-30%. In addition to this, per the shipbuilder, SG Twilight can achieve a reduction of more than 40% in the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
As informed, SG Twilight possesses the two-stroke slow-speed 7X62DF-2.1 engine made by Swiss marine power company WinGD featuring iCER (intelligent control by exhaust gas recycling) which ‘enhances’ fuel efficiency and halves the methane slip.
Representatives from JMU have elaborated that the adoption of a low-pressure main engine ‘simplifies’ the fuel gas supply system, including the generators and auxiliary boilers which are also dual-fuel compatible, resulting in lower power consumption.
The system utilizes N-BOG (natural boil-off gas) generated from LNG evaporation within the tank to prevent waste and slash emissions, JMU said.
In order to preserve energy, SG Twilight reportedly features a low-resistance hull form of heavy fuel oil-powered ships that works in unison with JMU’s proprietary energy-saving devices including the LEADGE bow, the SURF-BULB, ALV-Fin, the super stream duct (SSD), and a twisted rudder (Rupas).
Now that it has been delivered, SG Twilight is set to sail under NYK Line’s Sail GREEN brand, which was expanded from the Car Transportation Division to other business divisions in April 2022 when the shipping heavyweight announced it had launched a new NYK GREEN EARTH brand as well to accelerate its net zero by 2050 ambitions.
The first two vessels under the new brand’s flag were two LNG-powered pure car and truck carriers (PCTC)—the Plumeria Leader, which is considered the second LNG-fueled PCTC made in Japan, and its predecessor Sakura Leader.
In February 2024, NYK and JMU rolled the red carpet for what was described as the first LNG-powered Capesize bulker to be built in Japan. Christened the SG Ocean, this 210,000 dwt sail GREEN unit was deployed to transport iron ore and coal from Australia to Japan under a long-term consecutive voyage charter contract with JFE Steel Corporation (JFE).
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South Korean: MAN Energy Solutions sees ME-GI engine orders pick up momentum in LNG carrier segment
South Korean shipyard, Hanwha Ocean Co. Ltd, has ordered four MAN B7W 5G70ME-GI Mk10.5 engines in connection with the construction of two 174 000 m3 LNG carriers for an undisclosed shipowner. Hanwha Engine Co. will build the engines in South Korea and the contract contains an option for two additional vessels. Each engine will come integrated with MAN Energy’s proprietary exhaust gas recirculation bypass system.
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Bjarne Foldager, Head of Two-Stroke Business, MAN Energy, noted: “It is satisfying to see our ME-GI engine orders pick up momentum within the LNG carrier segment. The ME-GI’s technology delivers guaranteed, extremely low levels of methane slip that make it a future-proof methane engine within the current market.”
Christian Ludwig, Head of Two-Stroke Sales and Promotion at MAN Energy, added: “To date, we have achieved a total of more than 890 ME-GI references, either on order or in service, with over 110 of those within the LNGC segment alone. The ME-GI engine has favourable characteristics, including a best-in-class performance, the highest thermal efficiency for methane-fuelled two-stroke engines, as well as millions of reliable operating hours. The ME-GI – not being sensitive to fuel properties – is furthermore capable of operating on bio-methane and synthetic natural gas that render it net zero, providing a viable decarbonisation pathway for shipowners.”
The ME-GI engine
MAN Energy’s ME-GI (-gas injection) engine has set an industrial standard for two-stroke propulsion engines aboard, among others, RoRo vessels, PCTCs, container vessels, bulk carriers, tankers, and LNG carriers. The ME-GI engine provides ship owners, charterers, and operators with a solution within environmentally friendly and high-efficiency, two-stroke technology, but without methane-slip emissions. These design features have made the engine the standard propulsion system for the LNG-fuelled fleet.
The diesel principle not only provides the ME-GI engine with high operational stability and efficiency, but also ensures 100% reliable operation during load changes on gas with just normal additions of pilot-oil amounts. Furthermore, the ME-GI’s operational principles feature a seamless change-over between gas and diesel operation. The ME-GI engine is an environmentally-friendly technology available within the LNG-fuelled, two-stroke engine segment.
MAN Energy has also developed an ME-LGI (-liquid gas injection) dual-fuel engine that expands the company’s dual-fuel portfolio, enabling the use of sustainable fuels such as green methanol.
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France: Shipping colossals deepen ties with India amid growing maritime ambitions
French container shipping heavyweight CMA CGM, along with Denmark’s A.P. Moller–Maersk and Switzerland’s Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), is strengthening its foothold in India as the country endeavors to become a “global maritime hub”.
As disclosed, during his state visit to France in mid-February 2025, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with French President Emmanuel Macron traveled to CMA CGM Group’s headquarters in Marseille where discussions were held regarding the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) with the group’s Chairman and CEO Rodolphe Saadé.
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CMA CGM explained that the aim of the IMEC project is to improve connectivity between Europe and India through integrated sea, ocean and land infrastructure while also facilitating energy transport via a subsea cable.
As a result, the corridor is expected to ‘greatly’ boost trade between the European Union and the Middle East—an endeavor that the French shipping major, which strives to own a fleet adapted to alternative energy sources and ‘key port hubs in India, the UAE, and the Mediterranean, wants to be a ‘big’ part of.
One aspect of CMA CGM’s role in the IMEC project involves several dry ports along the IMEC rail route that stretches from India through Saudi Arabia and the Middle East to Europe which is now set to leverage the group’s logistics network.
Moreover, CMA CGM is understood to have aided in speeding up the decarbonization of logistics and maritime transport in India. For instance, in December 2024, its liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered boxship CMA CGM Fort Diamant visited the Nhava Sheva Container Terminal, becoming what was claimed to be the ‘first LNG-fueled ship’ to call the port.
Meanwhile, Soren Toft, MSC’s Chief Executive Officer, paid a visit to India this week where he met with Piyush Goyal, the nation’s Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, to discuss a number of possible investments and initiatives.
In a social media post on X, Goyal revealed that the discussion concentrated on inland container terminals, (eco-friendly) shipbuilding, maintenance as well as container manufacturing, among other matters.
The potential partnership with the South Asian nation’s government – as well as maritime industry stakeholders – is understood to be another ‘big’ step forward for the Swiss giant, especially with its subsidiary MSC India having been recognized as the “Mainline Container Operator of the Year with Widest Sector Coverage” at the India 8th Maritime Awards, held in June 2024 in Mumbai.
Simultaneously, Maersk has made efforts to ‘bolster’ its position in India through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the country’s largest shipbuilding and maintenance facility Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL). Per the MoU, the two partners are set to look into collaboration opportunities regarding ship repair, maintenance and construction.
Leonardo Sonzio, Head of Fleet Management & Technology, A.P. Moller-Maersk, called this development an opportunity to help “strengthen India’s maritime infrastructure.”
“The first Maersk vessel repair at CSL, planned already for 2025, will mark the beginning of what we envisage as a long-term collaborative relationship,” he remarked.
Indian government splashes out billions into sustainable shipbuilding
The recent interest of the ‘world’s largest’ shipping players in powering India’s growth is directly related to the country’s government announcement that it would set up an INR 250 billion (about $2.9 billion) maritime development fund (MDF) for the long-term financing of domestic shipbuilding and repair industry.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled that the government planned to contribute 49% of the fund and seek the remaining 51% from ports and the private sector. As informed, the MDF’s primary purpose is for financing ship acquisitions, in line with the nation’s ambition to increase the share of Indian-flagged vessels to 20% by 2047.
These investments will reportedly also target enhancing infrastructure, workforce training, and research and development. What is more, according to a new analysis by Intermodal, shipowners can receive a credit note equivalent to 40% of a scrapped ship’s value, usable for newbuilding orders at domestic shipyards.
In the report, Intermodal has spotlighted that, despite being one of the world’s biggest economies, India holds a minimal share—less than 1%—of the global shipbuilding market, which remains dominated by China, Japan, and South Korea.
Per the report, domestic shipyards primarily construct small to medium-sized vessels, typically below 20,000 dwt. The largest unit ever constructed in the country is considered to be a 93,322 dwt Aframax tanker built by CSL in 2002 for the Shipping Corporation of India.
Intermodal has noted further that over the past twenty years, Indian yards have also produced eight Panamax, five Supramax, and thirteen Handysize dry cargo vessels.
In spite of stumbling blocks, however, the country’s shipbuilding sector has shown growth over the past few years with analyses suggesting it could experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 60%, that is, go from the $1.12 billion value in 2024 and reaching the projections of $8 billion by 2033.
Presently, Indian shipyards have a 96-ships-strong orderbook, totaling 460,000 dwt, with general cargo units making up more than 60%, Intermodal has shared, adding that the country’s yards contribute around 10% of the global demand order volume for this segment.
Among domestic yards, Chowgule Group is said to lead with 29 vessels on order, followed by Cochin Shipyard with 27 newbuilds.
While India’s shipbuilding ambitions remain lofty, Intermodal’s report proposes that an ‘efficient’ allocation of financial resources could enhance its prospects and – at the same time – make a ‘major’ contribution to the nation’s effort to become a ‘top-tier’ shipbuilding player by 2030.
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Swizerland: MSC turns to China again, orders LNG dual-fuel containership fleet
“The 22,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container ship signed with Mediterranean Shipping Company is not only the largest and most advanced container ship type currently built by Changhong International, but also the largest ship type project under construction in Zhejiang Province,” the shipbuilder said.
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As informed, this is the second cooperation between the two parties following the shipbuilding projects involving ten 11,500 TEU, ten 10,300 TEU and a dozen 19,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel containerships.
The 22,000 TEU containership concept was independently developed by CIMC Ocean Engineering Design & Research Institute (CIMC ORIC). The boxship has a total length of 366 meters, a beam of 61.3 meters, and a depth of 33.2 meters.
In late December 2024, MSC also placed an order for ten 24,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel units at Hengli Heavy Industries, Dalian, China.
MSC’s ordering spree comes as companies increasingly prepare their fleets for new environmental regulations and replace aging parts of their fleets.
According to Alphaliner’s TOP 100 list, the MSC fleet currently comprises 888 vessels, of which 595 are owned and 293 chartered. What is more, the company has 129 ships on order.
https://www.offshore-energy.biz/msc-turns-to-china-again-orders-lng-dual-fuel-containership-fleet/
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Technological Development for Cleaner and Greener Environment Hydrogen & Bio-Methane
Scientists Create Hydrogen with No Direct CO2 Emissions at Source
A new way of creating hydrogen, which eliminates direct CO₂ emissions at source, has been developed by an international team of scientists. The process reacts hydrogen-rich and sustainably sourced bioethanol taken from agricultural waste with water at just 270°C using a new bimetallic catalyst.
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Unlike traditional methods, which operate between 400-600°C, are energy-intensive and generate large amounts of CO₂, the catalyst shifts the chemical reaction to create hydrogen without releasing carbon dioxide as a biproduct.
Instead, the process co-produces high-value acetic acid, an organic liquid used in food preservation, household cleaning products, manufacturing and medicine, and has an annual global consumption exceeding 15 million tons.
The researchers from Peking University and Cardiff University, say the study represents a boost in de-fossilising the chemical industry, by replacing fossil feedstocks used in making chemicals with an alternative carbon source.
Their findings, published in Science, mark a step-change in carbon-neutral hydrogen production, and establish a circular economy model for co-producing hydrogen and high-value chemicals from biomass.
Co-author Graham Hutchings, Regius Professor of Chemistry at Cardiff University, said: “Finding sustainable ways of creating the products we need for everyday life and to meet net zero ambitions for the future is a key challenge facing the chemical industry.”
Hydrogen is widely regarded as one way of achieving these ambitions because it is made from natural gas. However, it is extremely energy intensive and, of course, when created through traditional methods, it produces large amounts of carbon dioxide limiting its environmental benefits. Our study offers a new pathway which allows for high-yield hydrogen production without the CO2 emissions.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), approximately 96% of global hydrogen production still relies on fossil fuels, emitting 9-12 tons of CO₂ per ton of hydrogen.
The team’s breakthrough builds on more than a decade of collaborative research experience on metal-carbide catalysts for hydrogen production by the international group.
Lead author Professor Ding Ma of Peking University, said: “This innovative catalytic technology holds considerable promise for advancing the green hydrogen economy and supporting global carbon neutrality goals.”
Furthermore, the co-generation of acetic acid, a chemical with substantial industrial applications, enhances the technology’s economic viability and sustainability.
Professor Hutchings, who last year chaired a policy briefing for the Royal Society on defossilising the chemical industry, added: “By co-creating the two chemicals in tandem, the innovation could serve as a low-carbon alternative for industries such as acetate fibre manufacturing and pharmaceutical intermediates going forward.”
Their paper, ‘Thermal catalytic reforming for hydrogen production with zero CO₂ emission’ is published in the journal Science.
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Pakistan: Govt plans to convert 3,400 closed CNG stations into EV charging points
NEPRA reviews proposal to cut electricity tariffs for charging stations
The government is considering repurposing 3,400 closed CNG stations as electric vehicle (EV) charging hubs to expand the country’s charging infrastructure. The move comes as only eight charging stations have been operational in the past year, consuming 94,000 electricity units.
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On Wednesday, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) examined a proposal to lower the base electricity tariff for EV charging stations from Rs45.55 per unit to Rs23.57 per unit. The measure aims to encourage private sector investment and improve access to charging facilities.
NEPRA raised concerns about price regulation, questioning how charging station operators would be prevented from arbitrarily setting rates. Currently, EV users pay up to Rs70 per unit, making charging financially unfeasible for many.
Power Division officials stressed that reducing tariffs would help attract investment and accelerate the development of EV infrastructure. The initiative is part of broader efforts to transition towards cleaner energy and sustainable transport solutions.
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Carbon-neutral hydrogen can be produced from farm waste
Hydrogen could be made using agricultural waste under a new production process that uses less energy than existing methods and emits no greenhouse gases.
The novel process turns bioethanol into clean hydrogen and acetic acid, a substance found in vinegar that is also used in the chemicals, food and pharmaceutical industries.
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Most hydrogen is produced from natural gas; the process is energy-intensive and expensive. Hydrogen can also be produced from water using renewable electricity, but this approach is even more expensive than using natural gas.
Graham Hutchings at the University of Cardiff, UK, and his colleagues have developed an alternative method that relies on a catalyst made of platinum and iridium to extract hydrogen from bioethanol and water, without releasing any carbon dioxide. The bioethanol used in the process can be made from waste plant material, Hutchings says.
“We don’t make CO2, and so we are not making something that is an environmental burden,” says Hutchings. “We are taking a biologically sustainable source of carbon and hydrogen, and we are turning that into renewable hydrogen and renewable acetic acid. That’s quite neat.”
The team says the process is likely to be scalable and commercially viable, requiring much less energy to run than making hydrogen from natural gas. The next step is to attract commercial investment to set up a demonstration plant, says Hutchings.
Clean hydrogen production will need to scale up radically to enable global decarbonisation, with industries such as steel, chemicals and long-haul transportation expected to need hydrogen fuel.
But the world uses only around 15 million tonnes of acetic acid a year, limiting the potential role this new process could play in meeting demand for zero-carbon hydrogen.
“On a molecule basis we make twice as much hydrogen as acetic acid,” says Hutchings. “But acetic acid is much heavier than hydrogen.” That means producing 15 million tonnes of acetic acid – the world’s entire annual demand – in this way would yield only just over 1 million tonnes of hydrogen, far less than the demand of a net-zero world. “In terms of scale, there’s a bit of a mismatch,” says Klaus Hellgardt at Imperial College London.
Rather, the new process could offer a potential path to decarbonising part of the chemicals industry, with clean hydrogen production an attractive byproduct, says Hutchings. “Acetic acid at the moment is effectively made from fossil carbon. And here we are, we can make it from sustainable sources of carbon,” he says.
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Airbus ZEROe Plan Postponement Cools Prospects For Hydrogen Propulsion
A hydrogen-electric 100-seater (far left) had emerged as the favored candidate over larger, longer-range hydrogen-combustion concepts studied under ZEROe.
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Airbus’ postponement of a zero-emission hydrogen-powered commercial aircaft will send a chill through decarbonization efforts of an aviation industry already struggling to keep its net-zero 2050 target within reach. The 5-10-year delay comes hard on the heels of an updated road map, developed by an…
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