Mangalore-Bangalore LPG pipeline by '15

The Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HPCL) will lay a pipeline to transport LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) between Mangalore and Bangalore, said Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Veerappa Moily.

Addressing press persons during his visit to the LPG import facility of HPCL in Mangalore, he said that the 362-km LPG pipeline between Mangalore and Bangalore would be set up at a cost of around Rs. 701 crore. There will be a branch line from Hassan to Mysore also, he said. The project is expected to be completed by November 2015.

The pipeline system has been designed based on the initial demand of 1.12 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). It can meet demands up to 1.78 MTPA, he said.

The movement of LPG tankers will come down after the establishment of the pipeline between Mangalore and Bangalore, he said.

The approvals from the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, and the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board have been obtained for the project. However, the approval from the Forest Department is in progress, Moily said.

HBL