The Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Thiru M. K. Stalin has launched CNG in Chennai and Tiruvallur districts by inaugurating 25 CNG stations and 1 City Gate Station of Torrent Gas. Torrent Gas has been authorised by Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) for establishing and operating CGD network and providing Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Piped Natural Gas (PNG) in 33 Districts across 7 States and 1 UT. Chennai was the only metro in the country, where CNG and PNG were not available this far. A mega simultaneous launch of 25 CNG stations in Chennai and Tiruvallur is a significant moment in the development of CGD infrastructure in TN, as there were only 12 CNG stations in the entire state of Tamil Nadu until now. Availability of CNG will bring great relief to private vehicle owners, auto, taxi and commercial vehicle operators, reeling under the ever-increasing prices of petrol and diesel.
While welcoming Torrent Gas to Tamil Nadu, the Chief Minister said: “Access to Compressed Natural Gas, which is a cheaper and cleaner alternative to petrol and diesel has been a felt need of the people of Tamil Nadu. Widespread availability of CNG and significant savings will encourage consumers to adopt it, thereby having a positive impact on the environment. The domestic, commercial and industrial use of Natural Gas will spur further industrial development in the State.” He assured that the State government will take steps to facilitate faster roll out of the CGD infrastructure in Tamil Nadu.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Jinal Mehta, Director, Torrent Gas, said: “Torrent Gas has significantly strengthened its position in the CGD sector with the launch of operations in Chennai, the only metro city in the country to be authorised to a private entity. With the addition of 25 CNG stations in Chennai and Tiruvallur, Torrent now has an extensive network of 214 operational CNG stations across the country and we plan to further increase the number of operational CNG stations to 350 by 31st March 22 and 500 by 31st March 23.
He further added: “We are delighted to bring CNG, which is a widely accepted clean and affordable fuel, to the citizens of Chennai and Tiruvallur. Torrent Gas is committed to making CNG widely available in Chennai and Tiruvallur and we aim to commission 50 CNG stations by September 21 and 100 CNG stations by June 22. Torrent Gas intends to make a total investment of Rs. 5,000 crores in Tamil Nadu over the next 5 years towards the creation of CGD infrastructure including laying steel and PE pipelines to provide piped natural gas to domestic, industrial and commercial customers and setting up CNG stations. The project shall generate direct and indirect employment for approximately 5000 people in the State. At a national level, Torrent Gas has already invested around Rs. 1,900 crores and plans to invest around Rs. 10,000 crores over the next five years, across the country.
Torrent Gas has announced an aggressive price of Rs. 51.35/kg for CNG, in Chennai and Tiruvallur, which is the second lowest CNG price in the country after the NCR region. At this price, adoption of CNG as a fuel will help customers in Chennai save up to 66% vis-a-vis petrol, 61% vis-à-vis diesel and 42% vis-à-vis Auto LPG. CNG prices are also much more stable as compared to those of petrol and diesel, which undergo frequent changes.
Along with launching the CNG stations, Torrent Gas has also invested deeply into building awareness about CNG as an economical and environment friendly alternative to petrol and diesel. Torrent Gas, in its efforts to promote and build an ecosystem conducive for widespread adoption of CNG has tied up with OEMs in car, auto, LGV and LCV segments, who are committed to a similar cause and bringing various promotional offers for customers. Existing petrol car users can also get their cars converted to CNG by fitting their vehicles with CNG kits from government approved retrofitters.