Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : PM Narendra Modi on February 17, 2021, dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation of key projects of oil and gas sector in Tamil Nadu via video conferencing. He dedicated to the nation the Ramanathapuram – Thoothukudi natural gas pipeline and Gasoline Desulphurisation Unit at Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited, Manali. He also laid the foundation of Cauvery Basin Refinery at Nagapattinam. Governor and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, and Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister were present on the occasion.
PM Modi raised the issue of India importing over 85 percent of oil and 53 per cent of gas to meet the demand in 2019-20. He asked, “can a diverse and talented nation like ours be so energy import dependent?” He said had we focused on these subjects much earlier, our middle class would not be burdened. Now, it is our collective duty to work towards clean and green sources of energy, reduce energy dependence. “Our Government is sensitive to the concerns of the middle class,” he said, according to a PIB release.
To achieve this India is now increasing the focus on ethanol to help farmers and consumers.There is a focus on furthering usage of solar power to become a leader in the sector. Public transport is being encouraged and alternative sources like LED Bulbs are being embraced to enable huge savings for middle class households, PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister asserted that while India is working to meet the growing energy demand, it is also reducing its energy import dependence and diversifying import sources. For this capacity is being built. In 2019-20, India was 4th in the world in refining capacity. About 65.2 million tonnes of petroleum products have been exported. This number is expected to rise even further, he said. Talking about overseas presence of Indian oil and gas companies in 27 countries, the PM said that have investments worth approximately Rupees two lakh seventy thousand crore.
Touching upon the ‘One Nation One Gas Grid’ vision, the Prime Minister said, “we have planned to spend seven and a half lakh crore in creating oil and gas infrastructure over five years. A strong emphasis has been laid on the expansion of city gas distribution networks by covering 407 districts.”
The PM informed that consumer focused schemes like Pahal and PM UjjwalaYojana are helping every Indian household access this gas and95% of Tamil Nadu’s LPG customers have joined the PAHAL Scheme. Over 90% of the active customers get direct subsidy transfer. Under the UjjwalaYojana, over 32 lakh BPL households in Tamil Nadu have been given new connections.
The Prime Minister pointed out that Indian Oil’s 143 km long natural gas pipeline from Ramanathapuram to Tuticorin being launched today will monetise the gas from ONGC gas fields. This is a part of a larger natural gas pipeline project being developed at a cost of Rs 4,500 crore. It will benefit Ennore, Thiruvallur, Bengaluru, Puducherry, Nagapattinam, Madurai, and Tuticorin, he added.
These gas pipeline projects would also enable the development of City Gas projects which are being developed in10 districts in Tamil Nadu at an investment of Rs 5,000 Crore. The gas from ONGC field will now be delivered to Southern Petrochemical Industries Corp Limited Tuticorin. Feedstock will now be continuously available with no storage requirements. This is expected to result in saving in the range of Rs70 to Rs 95 Crores in cost of production annually, the PM said. He expressed the country’s plan to increase gas share in our energy basket from 6.3 percent currently to 15 per cent.
Enumerating the benefits of local cities, the PM said the CPCL’s new refinery at Nagapattinam anticipates about 80% indigenous sourcing of materials and services.The refinery is going to boost development of transport facilities, downstream petrochemical industries and ancillary and smallscale industries in the region