IGL to Set up Three LNG Stations in NCR in 3 Months

Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL) will commission three liquefied natural gas (LNG) filling stations in the National Capital Region over the next three months as part of pushing cleaner fuels for heavy-duty and long haul, Managing Director Kamal Kishore Chatiwal said.

“Three stations will be commissioned in the next three months,” Chatiwal said, while speaking at the 4th International Symposium for Thriving Eco-Energy in Mobility organised by SIAM. The company already operates one LNG station.

He said LNG is being positioned as an immediate alternative for long-haul and heavy commercial vehicles, at a time when hydrogen and other new fuels may take longer to scale up.

“We believe that hydrogen and other fuels will take time, but immediately we can replicate a model which has been successful in China, in Europe, in the US, and that is that LNG for long-haul vehicles or the heavy-duty vehicles, heavy and medium commercial vehicles."

IGL has plans to set up 100 LNG stations by 2029-30. The company commissioned its first LNG dispensing station in Ajmer and is looking to aggressively expand its network around Delhi NCR with new stations, likely in Rewari and Dadri. 

The company’s strategy for NCR is to ensure that highways entering Delhi are equipped with LNG dispensing facilities.

“Our vision is that every highway that is entering Delhi should have one LNG station because this is a huge market and huge issues are there, many regulations are there,” Chatiwal said.

LNG is natural gas cooled to cryogenic temperatures to convert it into liquid form. Compared with compressed natural gas (CNG), LNG has higher energy density, allowing trucks to travel longer distances without frequent refuelling. This makes it suitable for long-haul freight movement on India’s expanding highway network.

The company sees LNG as a way to address range concerns among fleet operators. Chatiwal described the current challenge as a demand-supply mismatch.

“What is preventing this is what people call a chicken and egg kind of story. The fleet owners are looking at stations to come up, and stations are looking at the fleets or the viability of the station,” he said.

Industry experts say LNG-powered trucks can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 30% compared with diesel vehicles, while also lowering nitrogen oxides and particulate matter emissions. However, the number of LNG retail outlets remains limited across India compared with diesel pumps. Currently, there are around 30 LNG stations across the country. 

Other companies are also expanding their presence. Adani has commissioned its first LNG station in Tirupur and plans to build 50 outlets over the next three to five years. Fleet operators such as Delhivery and GreenLine Mobility have inducted LNG-powered trucks into their operations, including Volvo and other manufacturers’ models capable of operating on long routes.