Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, emphasized that India’s energy planning is undergoing real-world testing as the country’s infrastructure and services rapidly expand. Puri mentioned that India’s natural gas pipeline length has almost doubled from 15,000 km in 2014 to 25,429 km presently, with plans for 33,475 km, indicating proactive preparation.
Puri noted that daily testing of energy planning in practical situations is evident as 1.58 crore kitchens now receive piped natural gas without refill bookings. He highlighted the successful scaling of cleaner fuel access for vehicles at 8,428 CNG stations, with a target of 18,336 by 2030, showcasing the effectiveness of the plans.
The minister stressed that India’s energy systems are designed to be proactive, ensuring readiness before demand peaks. He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership for the smooth functioning of daily life based on well-measured planning. Puri also shared his engagement with professionals from various sectors at the ‘Energy Dialogues’ in Chennai, discussing India’s advancements in biofuels blending, CBG, urea imports, aviation fuels, gas infrastructure, and critical mineral exploration.
Puri highlighted India’s significant role in global energy demand, projecting to become the world’s third-largest economy and accounting for over 35% of the global energy demand increase in the next two decades. He emphasized ongoing initiatives to bolster energy production and infrastructure, particularly focusing on expanding refining capacity, already ranking as the world’s fourth-largest.
The government’s efforts to enhance natural gas availability for power generation were underscored, including the expansion of the National Gas Grid to link domestic gas sources and LNG terminals to power plants. Various measures such as unified tariffs, establishment of LNG Terminals, and enabling domestic gas producers to sell up to 500 million standard cubic meters or 10% of annual production through authorized gas exchanges have been implemented.
