India has approved about 1,800 kilometers of new liquefied petroleum gas pipeline infrastructure, backed by an estimated investment of 7,000 crore Indian rupees ($731.3 million), to strengthen energy security, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board said Friday.
The board authorized three projects across Telangana, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Karnataka and Goa.
India imports most of its LPG supply through coastal terminals and needs to transport the fuel across the country, making expanded pipeline infrastructure important for supply reliability.
The projects include a 556 KM pipeline from Cherlapally in Telangana to Nagpur in Maharashtra.
A second project will connect Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh with Sitarganj in Uttarakhand across 611 KM, while a third will cover 633 KM from Shikrapur in Maharashtra to Goa and Hubli in Karnataka.
GAIL (India) will develop all three projects, which will increase the PNGRB-authorized common carrier LPG pipeline network from about 7,700 KM to roughly 9,500 KM.
The expansion represents a 23.5% increase in the authorized network and builds on the earlier approval of the roughly 2,757 KM Kandla-Gorakhpur LPG pipeline.
The regulator said pipeline transportation can reduce LPG tanker movements, improve road safety, lower logistics costs, and ease congestion while cutting carbon emissions by shifting away from road transport.
The expanded network will also improve energy resilience by allowing pipelines to hold product as line-pack storage, supporting continuous deliveries and helping India manage supply disruptions, emergencies and periods of stronger demand.