The gas transporter plans to raise the capacity of its Dabhol terminal
to 12 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) in a phased manner by 2030-31, GAIL
chairman Sandeep Kumar Gupta said.
Currently, the terminal operates at around 2.9 mtpa, although its
nameplate capacity is 5 mtpa. This
limitation is due to seasonal shutdowns during the monsoon. To address
this, the company is constructing breakwater infrastructure to ensure
year-round operation.
GAIL is also planning for new LNG import terminals but those are in the
preliminary stages, Gupta said. “Around half the current gas consumption is met
by imports and the share is unlikely to come down by 2030. If more gas has to be imported, more terminals will be needed,” Gupta
said.
The government’s push to increase natural gas usage in the economy has
led to the establishment of several LNG terminals in recent years. However,
despite this expansion, gas consumption and imports have not kept up, resulting in significant underutilisation
of these terminals.
.
As of now, the LNG terminals do not operate at full capacity excepting
the Dahej terminal which too operates at 95% only.However, the GAIL chairman expressed hope that this underutilisation
will gradually be resolved as domestic demand and imports rise.