In a major development, the 450 km Kochi-Koottnanad-Mangaluru natural gas pipeline was inaugurated on January 5, 2021. The newly inaugurated pipeline is expected to provide 2.1 million piped natural gas (PNG) connections. The pipeline is part of the government’s “one nation-one gas grid” policy.
The government has planned to move towards a gas-based economy that would be economical, convenient and environment friendly. Until now, 7.2 million PNG connections have been provided. Moreover, 1,500 compressed natural gas stations have come up since 2014. Currently, the share of natural gas in the country’s energy sector stands at six per cent which the government plans to increase to 15 per cent by 2030.