Green Corridor in the offing

New Delhi, November 25, 2013: In a bid to spearhead natural gas availability for the transport sector, a Green Corridor is being envisaged straddling the states of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana and Punjab and enveloping the region right from Bangalore in the south to Ludhiana in the north. This is expected to transform inland transportation in terms of growth of natural gas vehicles while expanding the reach of CNG beyond cities.

At present, pipeline infrastructure has been laid down across this stretch and is pegged at 13,000km. However, the pipeline density is yet to penetrate vast stretches of the country leaving a significant market segment out of the prospective natural gas vehicle market.

BC Tripathi, CMD of Gas Authority of India that is playing a pivotal role in providing gas, said that refuelling stations have to be located within a radius of 200-300km for which private players in different cities across the Green Corridor can take the lead to facilitate natural gas vehicles to ply long distance. Thus far, they have been limited to some cities alone where CNG is available. “For instance, the stretch between Delhi-Mumbai will be covered with natural gas dispersing stations within two years. We can look at the East in five years but it will take some more time for the entire country to be covered with the gas pipeline grid,” he added.

The refuelling infrastructure needs significant investments to progressively increase the extension of natural gas as a fuel of choice for transportation. At present, about 97-98 percent of the fuel consumed by the transport sector is liquid fuel. The two-wheeler segment has also remained predominantly untouched by CNG and will require both innovation and a higher level of energy efficiency to prove that CNG can be more cost effective and fuel efficient than petrol.

According to Tripathi, a policy change starting December 1 will ensure that CNG and petroleum and natural gas follow a uniform pricing system across states. Moreover, deregulation of diesel prices is also making CNG more attractive especially as it is lower priced.

For commercial vehicles, a good conversion kit in the aftermarket or factory fitted CNG kits would reign in power losses and make its usage economical on long hauls.

K D Singh, vice-president of Maruti Suzuki and executive director of Gaseous Fuel Group, was of the opinion that establishing the Green Corridor would further strengthen the carmaker’s CNG models and lend momentum to the CNG cause.

The Green Corridor meanwhile aims to establish the natural gas highway in the country. A refuelling infrastructure across the Green Highway will encourage long-haul transporters in adopting NGVs due to increased availability of gas stations.

Operational LNG re-gasification terminals at Hazira, Dahej, Dhabol and Kochi along with operational transportation pipeline network will help fuel the NGV vehicles.

However, for this endeavour to be successful, a coordinated approach is required with gas companies creating the CNG refuelling infrastructure for providing CNG refuelling along the highways while auto manufacturers have to come forward with long haul NGVs to ply along highways.

A three-day international conference and exhibition – ANGVA 2013 – to be held on November 27-29 November at the Noida Expo Centre will further deliberate on the issue.

SHOBHA MATHUR