Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, on Friday highlighted that in the last 10 years, the number of CNG stations providing green fuel for vehicles in the country has surged more than 20 times, while the number of households using piped cooking gas has recorded a 5-fold increase and LPG connections more than doubled.

This reflects not only an improvement in the lifestyle of the people but also an acceleration in the journey of 'Healthy India with Clean Fuel'.

“Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the last 10 years, CNG stations have increased by 2,300 per cent, PNG connections have increased by 467 per cent, LPG connections have increased by 128 per cent,” the minister posted on X.

“These are not just figures, they show the achievement of our resolve. They show that big changes are possible with new thinking, true intentions and hard work,” Puri said.

The minister further stated that along with providing convenience to the people, these figures are accelerating the journey of 'Healthy India with Clean Fuel'.

“These achievements have strengthened the foundation of developed India, on which the construction of the grand building of developed India has begun,” he added.

India's natural gas consumption is likely to rise by close to 60 per cent by 2030 as the country seeks to reduce dependence on oil imports and switch to cleaner fuels for running vehicles, cooking in household kitchens and industrial use, according to a study by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) released earlier this month.

PNGRB has already developed gas infrastructure across 307 Geographical Areas , covering the entire country except islands, it ensures widespread access to natural gas across domestic, commercial, industrial, and transportation segments., the report points out.

"The City Gas Distribution (CGD) sector is expected to be the primary growth driver, with consumption projected to grow 2.5 to 3.5 times by 2030 and 6 to 7 times" by 2030 from a base of 37 mmscmd in FY24, according to the report.

The demand has been considered for fertiliser, power, refineries, petrochemical, other industrial & commercial establishments, households as well as CNG and LNG as transport fuel in the energy basket through 2030 and 2040. There are reasonable time periods to plan and construct pipelines, the report states.

Consumption of natural gas is expected to rise from 188 million standard cubic metres per day in 2023-24 to 297 mmscmd by 2030 under the 'Good-to-Go' scenario which assumes moderate growth and developments based on current trends and commitments, the report observes. The consumption is projected to rise further to 496 mmscmd by 2040 under the same scenario.