KOCHI: Kochi is set to get a new natural gas link to southern Tamil Nadu, with Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) approving a Rs 2,448.70-crore project to lay a 424.65-km pipeline connecting Kochi with Kanyakumari and Thoothukudi.
The IOCL board has cleared the investment for the Kochi-Kanyakumari-Thoothukudi Natural Gas Pipeline (KTPL), marking a significant addition to the natural gas infrastructure along the southern coast. The company informed the stock exchanges about the approval on Monday.
The pipeline will run from Kochi to Thoothukudi via Kanyakumari and will have a designed capacity of 6.84 million metric standard cubic metres per day (MMSCMD). Of this, 1.71 MMSCMD — around 25% of the total capacity — will be available as common-carrier capacity.
The common-carrier provision allows third parties to use a designated portion of the pipeline, rather than restricting its use to the owner or its customers.
This could help widen access to natural gas for industries and other users along the corridor. IOCL described KTPL as a project for laying, building and operating the pipeline. However, its regulatory filing did not specify a construction schedule, commissioning date or funding pattern.
The project comes against the backdrop of continuing efforts to expand natural gas use in southern India.
Pipeline connectivity is crucial for bringing gas to industrial clusters, commercial users and other consumers, while reducing dependence on more expensive and carbon-intensive fuels.
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) granted IOC authorisation the pipeline in April following a bidding process.
KTPL will originate from Petronet LNG Ltd’s (PLL) LNG terminal in Kochi, with interconnectivity to the Kochi-Koottanad-Bengaluru-Mangaluru Pipeline (KKBMPL).
The tentative route indicated in the bid runs from the Kochi LNG terminal through Kottayam, Kottarakkara, Kattakkada and Nagercoil before reaching Thoothukudi.
The new project also comes as another major gas pipeline in the region faces delays. State-run GAIL (India) Ltd has extended the completion schedule of its 1,104-km KKBMPL to September 2026, citing the non-availability of hindrance-free work fronts.