The supply of compressed natural gas (CNG) is set to double in Calcutta by the end of the month, making the green fuel available in at least 10 more pumps in and around the city and turning the existing ones more ready with stocks.

The national gas grid that connects Bengal with the rest of the country has reached Kalyani, about 40 kilometre north of Calcutta, cutting down time to market by at least one-fourth.

Bengal Gas Company Ltd (BGCL), which has the licence to supply CNG in and around the city, will now be able to service the existing 15 gas stations and the upcoming ones more consistently, given the source is much nearer than the existing one at Panagarh in Burdwan.

Last week, the supplier charged the pipeline with CNG to test the readiness of the network.

Once the Petroleum and Explosive Safety Organisation (Peso), the government agency that regulates the safety of hazardous substances, including compressed gases, gives the green signal, BGCL will start commercially using the pipeline.

As the trunk pipeline is yet to reach Calcutta, the company brings CNG by truck-mounted casket to the pumps. Today, the trucks get CNG all the way from Panagarh, which is 160 kilometres away, making the round trips longer. With Kalyani now the source of gas, the trucks would be able to turnaround faster and cater to a wider network.

“Once the gas flows to Kalyani commercially, we will be able to service our existing CNG stations better and also expand the network. Higher and assured availability of gas is expected to attract more consumers to switch to CNG from traditional fuels,” Anupam Mukhopadhyay, CEO of BGCL, said.

BGCL is a joint venture between central public sector unit GAIL India Ltd and the state PSU Greater Calcutta Gas Supply Corporation Limited (GCGSCL). It has the licence to develop the city gas distribution network in Calcutta and parts of adjoining districts of North and South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and Nadia, catering to customers in the domestic, transport and commercial sectors. The Calcutta CGD project also happens to be a part of the Urja Ganga Pipeline Project.

The trunk pipeline to Kalyani took a long time to be ready due to issues at the grassroots level that delayed the construction. The chairperson of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board met Bengal chief secretary earlier this month seeking greater co-ordination among different organs of the state.

The PNGRB chairperson also requested the state government to include the supply of piped natural gas to households into RERA that sanctions real estate projects of a certain size. Even though not made mandatory, a few states have included PNG supply under RERA, nudging developers to create provisions/facilities for residential units during construction.

Bottlenecks

Even as the pipeline reached Kalyani, advancing it to Calcutta could take some time as there are a few bottlenecks that the network has to cross.

For now, BGCL has received the requisite nod to lay the pipeline along the Kalyani Expressway up to Bhatpara, reducing distance with the city further in three months from now.

One of the tricky areas is the stretch between Barasat and Haldirams on VIP Road because of Metro construction.

BGCL has sought permission from the Airport Authority of India to take the pipeline along the eastern boundary of the Dum Dum airport to enter Newtown-Rajarhat and bypass the VIP Road stretch.

Another tricky part appears to be the stretch between Nicco Park and E.M. Bypass along the canal as BGCL is yet to receive a nod to laythe pipeline.