The "Bhumi Pujan" for a five-MMTPA (million metric tonnes per annum) Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Regasification Terminal at Dhamra Port in Odisha's Bhadrak district was performed by Petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday.The Indian Oil Corporation, GAIL (India) Ltd. and the Adani Group have joined hands to set up the terminal at Dhamra Port for receiving, storage and regasification of LNG.The terminal, being built at an estimated cost of Rs. 6,000 crore, is expected to be commissioned by 2020-21, said an official.It will cater to city gas distribution networks and industrial hubs in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Angul, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda and Rourkela in Odisha.Thirteen districts of Odisha -- Sundargarh, Deogarh, Sambalpur, Angul, Dhenkanal, Khorda, Cuttack, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri and Jharsuguda -- will benefit from the pipeline passing through the state.After unveiling the Dhamra LNG Terminal foundation stone plaque, Pradhan said the terminal would play a significant role in the development of eastern India."Prime Minister has charted a roadmap for the growth of eastern India and stated that India can't be developed without integration of its eastern arm into the mainstream economy. Dhamra LNG Terminal is a gift from PM Modi to change the narrative of Odisha and bring back its past glory," said Pradhan.He added that India is transitioning to a gas-based economy with 50% of the gas being imported through terminals located in Gujarat and one in Maharashtra.
"In eastern India, Dhamra will have the distinction of hosting the first LNG terminal, which will import gas from countries like the US and Qatar," said Pradhan.He also enumerated the multiple benefits that will accrue to Odisha state and the region, with Dhamra LNG Terminal acting as a source of employment and investment opportunities, along with access to clean fuel.He said Dhamra would be a vital link in connecting eastern India with the gas infrastructure of the country and also benefit neighbouring countries. Natural Gas from this LNG terminal would also be an important gas supply source to the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga Project, also known as Jagdishpur-Haldia & Bokaro-Dhamra Natural Gas Pipeline (JHBDPL), he said.The natural gas from the Dhamra LNG Terminal will also be supplied to various city gas distribution (CGD) networks coming up in eastern India, including Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Ranchi, Bokaro, Jamshedpur and Kolkata."The CGD networks will in turn cater to the requirements of piped gas for households, CNG for automobiles and clean fuel requirements of commercial establishments and industries," Pradhan added.
Sanjiv Singh, Chairman, IndianOil, said: "Dhamra LNG Terminal will usher in a green wave of growth and development in eastern India by making available clean and economically viable natural gas to fuel various sectors. We are hopeful that use of natural gas will also help in reducing the carbon footprints in the states of Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal in a big way."B.C. Tripathi, CMD, GAIL India, reiterated its commitment to taking the Dhamra LNG project to its fruition and recounted its multiple benefits for the citizens in eastern India.The LNG terminal would also meet the gas requirements of three oil refineries of Indian Oil situated in Barauni, Haldia and Paradip. The three fertiliser plants at Barauni, Sindri and Gorakhpur, which are being revived by the Government of India, will also benefit from the terminal.The Dhamra LNG Terminal project and the JHBDPL project cumulatively are expected to bring investments to the tune of Rs. 51,000 crore to the economy of eastern India. Of this, about Rs. 13,000 crore will be spent on JHBDPL pipeline infrastructure, Rs. 6,000 crore on CGD projects in seven cities, Rs. 6,000 crore on Dhamra LNG Terminal, and Rs. 26,000 crore on revival of Gorakhpur, Barauni, Sindri and Talcher fertiliser plants.