Oil regulator PNGRB launches drive to increase piped gas adoption

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), in collaboration with City Gas Distribution entities, is launching a campaign from January 26th to March 31st, 2024, with the goal of encouraging the widespread adoption of PNG (Natural Gas) in households and expanding the consumer base across various segments of the population. Natural gas, being a clean and convenient fossil fuel, is the focus of this initiative.

The campaign will primarily target areas where the gas pipeline network has been established or is planned for the immediate future. This promotional effort aligns with the Prime Minister's vision to increase the share of natural gas in India's energy portfolio to 15% by 2030, aiming to transform the country into a "Gas-Based Economy." PNGRB is actively undertaking initiatives to promote natural gas not only as a cooking fuel but also in the realms of transport, commercial, and industrial sectors.

The National PNG Drive is a key component of these efforts, facilitating the supply of natural gas to existing registered customers while also enrolling new customers for PNG connections. City Gas Distribution (CGD) entities are actively involved in this drive, conducting various promotional activities to raise awareness about the use of PNG—a clean, environmentally friendly, safe, and reliable fuel.

During the campaign period, CGD entities will introduce several promotional schemes, conduct door-to-door campaigns, organize road shows, and undertake other activities to encourage and enroll customers for the conversion to PNG. Currently, there are 300 authorized Geographical areas in the country, covering 98% of the population and 88% of its area for the development of CGD Network.

The targets set up to 2032 include installing 12.5 Crore domestic PNG connections, establishing 17,751 CNG stations, among other objectives. As of November 30th, 2023, 1.2 Crore domestic PNG connections and 6,159 CNG stations have already been established in the country.

The National PNG Drive seeks the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders, including state governments and local bodies, to promote sustainable and clean energy solutions nationwide in order to achieve the specified objectives.