CHENNAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for Rs 829 crore Petroleum, Oil, and Lubricants (POL) pipelines in Common Corridor for the proposed Grassroot terminal at Vallur, Chennai. The pipelines will help connect Grassroot Vallur terminal with Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited in Manali Refinery and a new captive jetty at Kamarajar Port Limited. The project is expected to be completed by May 2026.
The pipeline will provide safe linkage to the grassroot terminal at Vallur which is an operational necessity due to closure directives issued by National Green Tribunal for the existing Kurukkupet and Tondiarpet depots. The pipeline will also facilitate fulfilling the combined requirement of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) at Chennai and Bangalore bases which is expected to be more than 1,400 Thousand Metric Tonnes (TMT) by 2029-30.
The terminal at Vallur along with the proposed captive jetty at Kamarajar Port Limited and common corridor pipelines will provide an efficient and effective route for coastal in/out movements from Chennai. This will result in substantial reduction of truck movement, leading to low carbon dioxide emissions, thus providing safe and green movement of petroleum products.
The project was facing hurdles in change of land use for 13.134 acres by the state housing department and approval of imported earth required for filling under the project. It was reviewed by Project Monitoring Group (PMG).
The prime minister also dedicated Indian Oil Corporation Ltd’s (IOCL) 488 km long natural gas pipeline laid for Rs 2,793 crore from Chengalpettu to Sayalkudi section of Ennore - Tiruvallur - Bengaluru - Puducherry - Nagapattinam - Madurai - Thoothukudi Pipeline. This pipeline section traverses through Kancheepuram, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Perambalur, Tiruchy, Pudukkottai, Sivaganga, Madurai, Virudhunagar and Ramanathapuram districts in Tamil Nadu.
The project will help in catalysing the industrial growth in the state through supply of environment friendly natural gas in a cost-effective manner to potential anchor customer like Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) Tiruchy and eight City Gas Distribution Geographical Areas (GAs) authorised by Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) for Kancheepuram, Puducherry, Madurai, Theni, Virudhunagar, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Pudukottai, Sivaganga, Thanjavur, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram and Kallakurichi, Dindigul, Karur, Namakkal and Tiruchy districts.
The pipeline will help provide 24x7 piped natural gas (PNG) to approximately one crore consumers and additional 1,300 compressed natural gas stations. It will result in supply of cleaner and greener fuel to domestic, commercial and transport segment customers and will improve the quality of life and ease of living apart from ensuring environmental well-being.