Petronet wants Indian shipyards geared to build LNG vessels.

Catering to the growing demand for natural gas in India, the Union Petroleum Ministry is thinking in terms of encouraging Indian shipyards diversify into the construction of LNG vessels.

Vivek Rae, Secretary, Petroleum and Natural Gas, pointed out that there is an increasing need to deploy more LNG vessels to bring gas from outside, as the demand would increase manifold in the coming years.

However, Indian shipyards are not fully equipped to meet such demand. Petronet LNG Ltd. is working on a proposal to qualify Indian shipyards in the construction of LNG ships through a joint venture mode with international yards, he said.

He was speaking at a function to mark the official inauguration of the Kochi LNG Terminal constructed by Petronet LNG Ltd.

HBL