Natural gas to provide solution for pollution in Kochi city

The Hindu , Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Correspondent : R. Ramabhadran Pillai
LNG project at Puthu Vype will start a revolutionary change in the sector

KOCHI: Kochi will set the trend in the fuel segment in Kerala with a host of projects based on liquefied natural (LNG) gas scheduled to come up in the coming years. The LNG project at Puthu Vype will set the ball rolling for a revolutionary change in the domestic sector as well as the commercial spectrum.

One of the ambitious projects being taken up is the piped natural gas (PNG) supply. The regasified LNG from the Petronet LNG terminal will be distributed to various parts of the city and beyond through pipes. The scheme envisages to supply natural gas to commercial and domestic consumers.

The gas will be distributed to domestic consumers under the City Gas project to be known as `Gogas', a name derived from the popular phrase God's Own Country, which is used to describe Kerala.

Hopefully, the Gogas project will ease the present pressure on the oil companies supplying LPG for domestic use. The price advantage will be another positive factor. LNG is about 50 per cent cheaper than petroleum fuel as per international prices now.

This apart, the PNG would be safe, said M.J. Mohan, General Manager of BPCL and the head of Gas Task Force, a new unit formed by BPCL and KRL for marketing LNG in and around Kerala. As the PNG is lighter than air, the former escapes into the air in case of leakage of the container, thereby reducing the possibility of getting ignited accidentally. In contrast, the leaked LPG settles down in a room or godown where the cylinders are kept and catches fire easily. Even a minor spark emanating from an electric switch while switching on the light can lead to a major explosion.

The compressed natural gas (CNG) project will be another major initiative in Kochi to be taken up as part of the LNG project. The CNG too is transported through pipes to different areas from the Petronet LNG facility in Kochi. The gas could effectively replace the petroleum fuel being widely used in automobiles now, according to top officials of GAIL (India), which is the marketing company of the natural gas.

Apart from the low cost factor, CNG will be a clean fuel for automobiles. Almost all cities are burdened with the pollution arising out of the emissions from automobiles. The number of automobiles in Kochi has doubled in the past seven years. The trend will assume larger proportions in the years to come and the level of atmospheric pollution is bound to go up. CNG filling stations will be set up at various parts of the city to provide the refilling facility for vehicles.

Pollution has been resulting in several diseases in addition to contaminating the environment.

The air pollution-related diseases need special diagnostic facilities. GAIL is taking steps for setting up a diagnostic centre for such diseases at the General Hospital, according to Proshanto Banerjee, Chairman and Managing Director of GAIL (India). The facility is likely to be inaugurated by month-end.

Another initiative by GAIL is the setting up of an electronic display board at Marine Drive to display the atmospheric pollution levels in Kochi.

The figures will be revised on a regular basis after monitoring pollution. This is intended to be an indicator of the pollution, which could generate better awareness on the need for a cleaner fuel for domestic and commercial use.

 
SOURCE : The Hindu, Wednesday, October 19, 2005
 


Back to pevious page



The NetworkAbout Us  |  Our Partners  |  Concepts   
Resources :  Databases  |  Publications  |  Media Guide  |  Suggested Links
Happenings :  News  |  Events  |  Opinion Polls  |  Case Studies
Contact :  Guest Book  |  FAQs |  Email Us