(P&GJ) — A new natural gas pipeline connecting the Chhara LNG regasification terminal in Gujarat to the national gas grid was commissioned on March 20.
Developed by Gujarat State Petronet Limited (GSPL), the 36-inch diameter pipeline has a capacity of 18 million standard cubic meters per day and was built at an estimated cost of Rs. 650 crores ($78.3 million). It runs from the HPCL LNG terminal at Chhara in the Gir-Somnath district to Lothpur in Amreli district, passing near the eco-sensitive zone of Gir National Park, home to Asiatic lions.
Construction of the pipeline, which includes a dispatch terminal at Chhara, multiple valve stations, and a receiving terminal at Lothpur, was awarded to Ace Pipeline Contracts Private Limited in September 2023. To accelerate the schedule, the project used techniques such as automatic welding for the large-diameter pipe.
The Chhara terminal, operated by HPCL LNG Limited—a subsidiary of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited—has a regasification capacity of 5 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA). The project supports India’s target of raising natural gas’s share in the national energy mix to 15% by 2030.
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