Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated the much-awaited Kochi-Mangaluru natural gas pipeline, via video conference. The 450-km pipeline stretches from Kochi, through Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Kasaragod districts in Kerala to Mangaluru in Karnataka.
Inaugurating the Kochi-Mangaluru natural gas pipeline, the Prime Minister said the project sets the government’s energy roadmap, envisaging more than double the share of cleaner natural gas in the consumption basket, diversifying sources of energy and connecting the nation with one gas pipeline grid. He said this will also bring affordable fuel to people and industry.
The virtual event was attended by dignitaries including governors and Chief Ministers of Kerala and Karnataka, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and authorities of Gas Authority Of India Ltd (GAIL).
Stating that the country under the Union government is seeing unprecedented work on highways, railway, metro, air, water, digital and gas connectivity, he added that the government has an “integrated approach to energy planning. Our energy agenda is all-inclusive,” he said.
While on the one hand, natural gas pipeline network is being doubled to about 32,000 km in 5-6 years, on the other, work on the world’s biggest hybrid renewable plant combining wind and solar power has started in Gujarat, said PM Modi.
“In 10 years’ time, petrol will be doped with as much as 20 percent of ethanol extracted from sugarcane and other agro products, he said. This would help cut reliance on imports for meeting oil needs as well as reduce carbon emissions,” the Prime Minister added.
The pipeline grid will help improve clean energy access as well as also aid in the development of city gas projects, he said.
The PM added that 900 CNG stations were set up till 2014 after the advent of compressed natural gas as fuel for automobiles in the country around 1992. In the last six years, the number of CNG stations has gone up to 1,500 and the target is to take them to 10,000, he said. Also, 25 lakh households had piped natural gas connections for using the fuel for cooking purposes till 2014 which has risen to 72 lakh now, PM added.
Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan hailed the completion of the project. Pinarayi Vijayan noted that GAIL had to stop the project in September 2104 due to several obstacles but after LDF came to power in 2016, they had to “clear obstacles by proactively addressing the genuine concerns of the people”.
“GAIL authorities also stood by us in making this project come to life. I am extremely happy that our combined efforts have borne fruits,” CM Pinarayi said.
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