Bengaluru: It’s good news as GAIL has completed the final 540-metre stretch across the Chandragiri river in northern Karnataka. The project relates to Kochi-Mangalore natural gas pipeline. 

It should be noted that the pipeline – 444km in length – was launched in 2009. The estimated cost at that point in time was Rs 2,915 crore and was to be commissioned in 2014. 

However, thanks to safety and other issues, the project got delayed. The project cost also doubled to over Rs 5,750 crore.
"We have completed the most difficult stretch across the Chandragiri river in Kasargod district in northern Kerala, on Saturday. Now the testing is on and this will be completed in the next two days. Within this week itself gas will reach Mangalore through the 444-km pipeline," P Murugesan, the executive director and head of Southern region, Gail, said, as revealed by PTI.

A formal commissioning will be done later, according to the availability of the minister, he added.

More o the pipeline: 

The pipeline is charged up to Kannur now, and is live up to Kuttanand in Palakkad district, 90 km north of Kochi since June 2019 and of the remaining 354 km the line is ready up to Kannur. Kuttanad is the main junction of the project as from here the line bifurcates to Managalore and Bengaluru.

The first phase of the project was commissioned in August 2013 in the Kochi metropolitan area with industrial supplies and domestic supplies from February 2016 by Adani Gas.

Today the pipeline supplies 3.8 million cubic metres of gas every day to industrial and residential customers in Kochi and is set to cross 4 million cubic metres soon in the city itself, while Mangalore has a potential of 2.5 million cubic metres per day, Murugesan said.

With the commissioning the pipeline, gas demand in the state will touch 80-90 million cubic metres per annum from 60 million cubic metres now.