With GAIL pipeline in place, Petronet LNG eyes higher capacity utilisation in Kochi.

With the natural gas pipeline of GAIL reaching Mangaluru, Petronet LNG Ltd. is expecting a 30-40 per cent increase in capacity utilisation at its ₹4,700-crore terminal in Kochi in the next two-three months.

“Right now, our capacity utilisation is 20 per cent (less than 1.5 million tonnes). And this will go up once more companies start using natural gas for their production requirements,” said Yogananda Reddy, Chief General Manager and Vice President, PLL Kochi Terminal.

The terminal has a capacity of five million tonnes and the plant is ready to meet any demand from industrial consumers from the northern part of the State, he told BusinessLine. Once the city gas distribution (CGD) network expands to these regions, there would be more customers, he said.

Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilisers, ONGC Mangalore Petrochemicals Ltd (OMPL), and MRPL are some of the major consumers who have shown interest in availing gas that would materialise soon after completion of all technical works in this regard, he added.

Sources in BPCL, which engaged in the road movement of natural gas from Kochi, said that ISRO Thirunelveli, Turbo Engineering, Chennai, Inox Air Products, Bhurka Gas Bengaluru have started taking gas.