Vadodara: A firm based in Waghodiya industrial estate, on Saturday, inaugurated country’s first LCNG hub and spoke station.
LNG Express India Private Limited demonstrated the operation of the LCNG hub and spoke model in presence of officials, from the state-run Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) –which supplies liquid natural gas (LNG) to it and Adani Gas Limited, the city gas distributor (CGD) company which is its anchor customers.
Designed and built by Cryogas Industry’s Group, the parent company of LNG Express India Private Limited, the LCNG station will deliver natural gas for refuelling vehicles, either in liquid or gaseous form.
Thought the third generation technology, LNG is stored in a storage tank and later pressurised at a high pressure of 250 kg per cm square.
This high pressure liquid is then vaporised and sent for dispensing though control panel.
“From the same storage tank, LNG will be also provided as a vehicle fuel for heavy duty trucks and vehicles to replace the use of diesel.” said Nayan Pandya, owner of the group.
Pandya added the group invested nearly Rs. 5 crore for the developing this technology indigenously.
While we (LNG Express) have plants to set up similar stations across the country, the technology will also help all companies involved in city gas distributions to put up such stations within the geographical areas in which they operate,” he said.
“with the LNG stations, CGD containers can supply gas to their last mile customer before they start laying natural gas pipelines which require huge investment,” he said “the same equipment can be shifted to other places to supply gas to another set of customers.”
With 40% consumption, Gujarat is the highest natural gas consuming state in the country.
“Though this technology, we can start supplying LCNG to states like Maharastra, Rajasthan and southern parts of the country, where even a proper pipeline network to supply natural gas is missing”. he said