CHENNAI: Around 20,000 houses along Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), Grand Southern Trunk (GST) Road, and the city’s southern outskirts will receive piped natural gas (PNG) within the next 18 months, said M Thirukumaran N T, regional head (Kanchipuram) of THINK Gas, which holds licences for Kanchipuram.
The company currently has 5,500 active domestic connections, nearly 60% of them concentrated in Sholinganallur, Thiruporur, Thalambur, and Thaiyur along OMR.
“We have created adequate infrastructure across OMR, parts of GST Road beyond Tambaram, and southern suburbs. Expansion work is ongoing,” he said, adding that pipeline networks have been looped with multiple supply sources to ensure uninterrupted service even if one line is disrupted. While infrastructure is in place, the company is facing challenges in driving demand.
“In many shared living spaces, especially bachelor accommodations, residents don’t seek gas connections as they depend on food apps or office canteens. We have identified potential high-rises like Hiranandani (Siruseri) where work could begin soon,” he said. The process of getting a PNG connection has been simplified. Pipelines with valves are already laid along main roads and can be extended to individual homes. For high-rises, gas risers up to 28 metres are provided.
“Our technical team connects to the stove, retrofitting burners from 90 nm (LPG) to 110 nm (PNG) within 10-15 minutes. From registration to installation, it takes one day. The cost is around 7,000 with multiple payment options,” Thirukumaran said.
Operational costs for PNG are now 4-5% cheaper than LPG cylinders, down from a previous 15% advantage after LPG prices were reduced by 300. “Give us a level-playing field. If you get, say, 100 subsidy or 300 subsidy in a month, then I should not be punished for using PNG. Give me a 300 subsidy through a direct transfer without routing through any of the entities. We are asking the govt to either promote LPG or natural gas. You cannot promote both,” said Chiradeep Datta, director & chief operating officer, THINK Gas.
Pipeline expansion is hampered by strict work-hour limits, allowing activity only between 11pm and 5am, with effective hours reduced to five due to setup and clearance. Approvals are slow, taking two months from highways and another month from traffic police, while 45-day permits lapse during processing. Gas firms have asked TIDCO to implement single-window clearances to cut timelines to five-seven working days.
