CNG stations in housing complexes soon, courtesy IGL
What's the story
Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL), India's biggest city gas retailer, is looking at setting up CNG dispensing stations within residential housing complexes to ease queues at CNG pumps, its Managing Director ES Ranganathan said. IGL, which retails CNG to automobiles and piped cooking gas to household kitchens in Delhi and its suburbs, is facing pressure to cut queues at CNG stations leading to traffic snarls.
Details
To set up CNG station, IGL needs 10x10 meter area
The company has already set up one CNG dispensing pump at a residential housing complex in Noida on a pilot basis, Ranganathan said. "All we need is a 10x10 meter area- a space equivalent to one used for parking of four cars. We'll set up a CNG station and man it as well. Residents of the housing complex will get priority filling," he said.
Action
To expand its network, IGL adopted dealer-franchise model
IGL adopted a dealer-franchise model for expanding the network. The company, with 452 CNG stations in Delhi, Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, and Rewari, has started giving a franchise to dealers who own lands. "We already have two CNG dispensing stations operating on dealer model and have given letters of intent for another 21 which will be commissioned within the current financial year," Ranganathan said.
Target
IGL has target of 2L cooking gas customers this year
Ranganathan said IGL, which has opened 30 CNG stations last year, is also setting up e-vehicle charging facility and has tied up with a Dutch company. They also plan to add a record 60 CNG dispensing stations and give piped cooking gas connections to at least 2L households this fiscal. Last financial year, they gave piped natural gas (PNG) connections to 1.5L households.
Govt plans
Govt pushing CNG use on transportation, PNG to replace LPG
"We can achieve 3L target as areas currently out of bound like Cantonment areas are opened up for us to lay pipelines and give connections in kitchens," the MD said. The government is aggressively pushing for use of CNG as a transportation fuel to cut on use of polluting liquid fuels like diesel. It also wants PNG to replace costlier LPG in kitchens.
Target
Govt targeting 1 crore PNG connections by 2020
This is with a view to cut oil import dependence and push up the share of natural gas in the country's energy basket to 15% from current 6.2%. India imports 81% of its oil needs. In its push towards a gas-based economy, the government is targeting 1 crore PNG connections by 2020. The country has 45.26L household kitchens using natural gas as cooking fuel.
Information
Gujarat has highest number of PNG users, Delhi ranks third
Gujarat has the highest number of PNG users at 19.07L, followed by Maharashtra at 12.73L. Delhi ranks third. Both Gujarat and Maharashtra have multiple companies retailing CNG and PNG. Ranganathan said IGL is committed to achieving the targets in the push towards a gas-based economy.