India is trying to double the share of natural gas in its energy mix to 15% by 2022, something that requires a significant increase in imports and the construction of LNG terminals.
As of now, India has four terminals receiving LNG and imports 20 million tonnes of the fuel a year. However, during the course of the next seven years, India plans to build eleven more terminals, according to Narendra Taneja, spokesman for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). If that happens, India will increase its capacity to 70 million tonnes per year.
If India achieves the 70 million tonnes per year target, it will surpass China as the world’s largest importer, reaching the levels of Japan.
These developments are part of the country’s strategy to increase natural gas use, Reuters reported, with the government encouraging Indian railway companies and LNG importers to fuel trains with LNG.
India also wants to accommodate more ships running on LNG, and it plans to build more facilities like a fueling station at Kochi port.
