In a key development, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has commissioned a 26-kilometre-long natural gas pipeline on July 4, 2022. The pipeline section starts from the tap-off point IP-02 station on Dabhol – Bangalore pipeline, which connects South India to the national gas grid, with city gate station at Mouje Vadgaon village in Kolhapur District.

This city gate station, which is spread over 19,500 square meters, will supply compressed natural gas (CNG) to Fuel Stations in Sangli and Satara districts, through both pipeline and cascade fillings. BPCL received the authorisation for setting up CNG and piped natural gas (PNG) infrastructure in Satara and Sangli districts in the ninth bidding round by Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board in 2018.

BPCL is selling CNG from 11 CNG stations in these two districts and has laid up infrastructure for 14,500 household PNG connections. In the next two years, these numbers are expected to increase to 60 CNG stations and 70,000 PNG connections, for which this pipeline will play a crucial role in terms of supply security and ease of receipt.