Centre's nod for LPG terminal
Kochi   08-Jul-2010

The Union Ministry for Environment and Forests on Wednesday granted environment clearance for the LPG Import Terminal proposed by the IndianOil (IOC) at Puthuvype. The proposed plant with a storage capacity of 15,400 tonnes gives a fresh hope to the state which is facing a shortage of liquid petroleum gas (LPG).

"The plant will be adequate enough to meet the LPG requirements of the state. The LPG will be mainly imported from West Asia. At present we are transporting LPG from neighbouring cities like Mangalore as the volume supplied by the Kochi Refineries Ltd is not sufficient to meet demand and supply," said an IOC official.

The official said that the Rs 270-crore plant would come up in an area spreading to 37 acres at the Puthuvypu SEZ. "As the Centre has given its clearance, the plan is to complete the work within a period of 30 months," he said.

In addition to the construction of the terminal, a main jetty for unloading is also necessary for making this project a reality. "We have already submitted a proposal to the Cochin Port Trust (CPT) for the construction of a Rs 100-crore multi-user liquid terminal. The multi-purpose terminal will be constructed by IOC. The jetty can be used by the CPT for its bunkering terminal," the official said adding that the IOC is waiting for the CPT's nod in this regard.

The official also said that in addition to meeting the requirements of the state, the terminal will supply LPG to Coimbatore and other cities in western Tamil Nadu. "The terminal will be able to handle a total of six lakh tonnes of LPG per annum initially," he said. The proposed plant has been designed to resist heat, utilising the safest technology, the official said.