India Energy Week 2024: Affordable LNG prices key to wider adoption of clean fossil fuel, says Petronet CEO

India’s achievement of the goal of rising pure fuel share in complete vitality combine to 15 per cent by 2030, from 6 per cent at current, was depending on reasonably priced pricing and synchronisation of infrastructure within the provide chain, mentioned Akshay Kumar Singh, MD & CEO, Petronet LNG.

Petronet LNG, a three way partnership firm promoted by a number of Indian public sector undertakings within the oil and fuel area, has established India’s first LNG (liquefied pure fuel) receiving and regasification terminal in Dahej, Gujarat, and one other terminal in Kochi, Kerala.

Singh made his observations whereas talking on the management panel on ‘Developing LNG markets and infrastructure’ on February 7, the second day of the India Energy Week 2024 in Goa.

The Petronet LNG chief recognized pricing as the principle obstacle in persuading customers to change to cleaner fossil gasoline. “Unaffordable prices will drive shoppers to change over to different fuels and it’s crucial to calibrate it rigorously so that prime prices don’t find yourself destroying demand,” he added.

Wide adoption of LNG was required for vitality transition, mentioned the CEO, including that the area for the cleaner gasoline’s development already existed within the Indian economic system.

LNG, he mentioned, may change a big half of crude, 85 per cent of which was imported. India imports round 45 per cent of LNG used within the nation.

Additionally, LNG may additionally simply change 10-20 per cent of diesel utilized in transportation, thus rising the share of cleaner gasoline in India’s vitality combine, he mentioned.

Singh careworn that whereas pricing was an space of concern for selling LNG use broadly, the gasoline had a bonus: it may very well be bought in any half of India.

Largescale LNG adoption potential with authorities assist

Singh mentioned that the federal government’s acknowledged objective was to transition the Indian economic system right into a gas-based one. The troublesome process of largescale LNG adoption was potential with the assistance of authorities intervention, he mentioned, significantly in adoption of concessional taxation of the gasoline.

Speaking on the identical panel, Sukhmal Jain, Director (Marketing) and member of Board of Directors, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), mentioned that pure fuel adoption was essential for India to be a part of the league of developed nations.

The BPCL official added that whereas oil demand development was projected at 2.5-5 per cent yearly, LNG demand development may very well be within the 4-5 per cent vary.

“Cost, effectivity in provide and taxation have to be aligned for pure fuel promotion,” Jain mentioned.

As half of the panel at IEW 2024, Andrew Barry, Chairman, ExxonMobil LNG Market Development and Vice-President, Global LNG Marketing, ExxonMobil Oil & Gas Company, emphasised that LNG was a terrific companion for renewable vitality, which confronted intermittency points due to the cyclical nature of photo voltaic, wind, and hydro vitality.

Agreeing with fellow panellists, Barry recognized the associated fee of constructing LNG manufacturing and transmission infrastructure as one of the principle challenges within the adoption of the clean gasoline.