IOC to complete eastern India's first LPG pipeline commissioning in November

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is giving final touches to the commissioning of eastern India’s first LPG pipeline – Paradip-Haldia-Durgapur LPG pipeline (PHDPL). The inter-state pipeline, built with an investment of Rs. 1,330-crore, is slated to be commissioned in November this year.

Originating from Paradip, the PHDPL will cater to the LPG demand of Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal. In April this year, IOC had commissioned the Paradip-Balasore section of the pipeline.

“The commissioning of LPG pipeline will be done in November this year. The final testing on the pipeline’s commissioning is in full swing. The pipeline will transfer LPG from the Paradip refinery,” said Mr. P. C. Choubey, Executive Director (pipelines division), IOC.

The PHD pipeline will have pump stations at Paradip and Haldia and delivery stations at Balasore (Odisha), Budge Budge, Kalyani and Durgapur (West Bengal).

The demand for LPG connections in India is set to rise from 18 million tonnes (mt) to 25-mt by 2022-23 and is seen growing at a rate of 11-12 per cent annually. About 50 per cent of India’s LPG requirement is being imported.

To cater to the swelling demand, IOC is focusing on infrastructure development and improving logistics for movement of LPG. The completion of the PHD LPG pipeline is expected to give a fillip to the overall LPG demand in eastern India and also to the energy sector, as a whole, in the country. The pipeline holds the key to the evacuation of LPG from IOC’s 15 million tonnes capacity refinery at Paradip.