PNGRB Unveils Massive Energy Pipeline Push; IOCL Gets 425-km Gas Corridor, 2,500-km LPG Grid Takes Shape
Sources indicate that the regulator is targeting a near-complete phase-out of bulk LPG road transportation by 2030
In one of the biggest moves yet to overhaul India’s fuel transportation architecture, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has simultaneously cleared a major natural gas pipeline in the South and accelerated a nationwide LPG pipeline rollout worth nearly Rs 12,500 crore, signalling an aggressive shift towards safer, cleaner and more efficient energy logistics.
At the centre of this infrastructure thrust is PNGRB’s authorisation to Indian Oil Corporation Limited for the Kochi–Kanyakumari–Thoothukudi Natural Gas Pipeline (KTPL), a 425-km gas corridor that will transport regasified LNG from Kochi LNG Terminal deep into Kerala and Tamil Nadu’s southern districts.
The pipeline, with a capacity of 6.84 MMSCMD, is expected to dramatically improve natural gas access in the region, support industrial consumption, feed power plants and accelerate expansion of City Gas Distribution (CGD) networks for PNG and CNG supply.
Officials said the project would strengthen southern India’s integration with the national gas grid while advancing the Centre’s long-term goal of raising natural gas share in India’s energy basket.
But the bigger signal from PNGRB lies in its parallel LPG logistics transformation plan.
In a sweeping bid to reduce hazardous and expensive bulk LPG movement by road, PNGRB has identified nine LPG pipeline projects and is currently moving ahead with bid conclusion for four major corridors stretching nearly 2,500 km across the country. These include Cherlapally–Nagpur, Shikrapur–Hubli–Goa, Paradip–Raipur and Jhansi–Sitarganj routes.
The proposed projects are expected to draw investments of around Rs 12,500 crore and could fundamentally reshape how LPG is transported from ports and refineries to bottling plants nationwide.
Sources indicate that the regulator is targeting a near-complete phase-out of bulk LPG road transportation by 2030 — a move seen as crucial in reducing accident risks, lowering transit losses, cutting emissions and creating a far more dependable national supply chain.
Pipeline transportation would also create strategic energy storage flexibility during disruptions, while reducing logistics costs and enhancing delivery speed.
Energy sector observers say the dual announcements underscore PNGRB’s determination to build a future-ready hydrocarbon transmission system where both natural gas and LPG move increasingly through dedicated pipeline infrastructure instead of highways crowded with hazardous tanker fleets.
With India’s fuel demand steadily rising and clean energy commitments tightening, PNGRB’s latest decisions are being viewed as a decisive infrastructure intervention aimed at energy security, environmental sustainability and nationwide logistics modernisation.
