Adani ports inks pact with IOC for LNG regasification

NEW DELHI: Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) on Monday said it has entered into a pact with Indian Oil Corporation to provide LNG regasification services at its import terminal in Odisha.

As per the contract, IOC has booked 3 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) regasification capacity spread over 20 years, APSEZ said in a statement.

"APSEZ...HAS signed a long term agreement with IOC to provide Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) regasification services on a use or pay basis to the state-run refiner, at its upcoming LNG import terminal at Dhamra in Odisha," the company said.

IOC plans to supply gas to its refineries in Paradip in Odisha and Haldia in West Bengal.

"We are pleased to partner with Indian Oil by signing this long term agreement. India lacks adequate LNG import infrastructure at present and I am confident that this project will play a key enabling role for increasing gas consumption in that part of the country. In fact, the terminal will play a strategic role in gas supply to Bangladesh and Myanmar as well," said Karan Adani, CEO, APSEZ.

The foundation stone of the project was laid in July 2017 and construction has commenced by infrastructure firm Larsen & Toubro (L&T), winning the contract to set up the tankages for gas storage. The terminal is expected to be commissioned during the second half of 2021.

APSEZ said the proposed Dhamra LNG import terminal is designed for an initial capacity of 5 MTPA, expandable up to 10 MTPA.

"Initially, it will have two full containment type tanks of 1,80,000 m3 capacity each. It will be first of its kind in India and second LNG terminal on the east coast after IOC'S Ennore terminal in Tamil Nadu," the company said.

It said the company will have a jetty capable of handling a wide range of LNG supply vessels, including the largest Q-max fleet from Qatar. The terminal will be capable of reloading LNG to service proximate markets via the marine route and will also have truck loading gantries to help grow the nascent but exciting LNG by truck market.

Headquartered in Ahmedabad, the $12-billion Adani group has operations across the world and APSEZ has 10 strategically located ports and terminals on both the western and eastern coastline of India - Mundra, Dahej, Kandla and Hazira in Gujarat, Dhamra in Odisha, Mormugao in Goa, Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, and Kattupalli and Ennore in Chennai - representing 24 per cent of India's total port capacity. NEW DELHI: The government is planning to install over 4,000 mobile towers in Naxalhit areas in 10 states to improve telecom network in such places, officials said.

The Telecom Commission has approved the proposal to install the 4,072 mobile towers in the 10 states under the mobile tower phase-ii scheme and a cabinet note is being circulated for it.

The approval of the Union cabinet is expected any time soon, a home ministry official said.

In the first phase, which was completed about two years ago, 2,329 mobile towers were installed at a cost of Rs 3,167 crore in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

The additional towers will strengthen the telecom network resulting in increased mobile penetration in Left Wing Extremism-affected and other areas facing security challenges.

The exact cost of the fresh endeavour is not immediately known but the expenses are expected to be borne by the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) of the Department of Telecommunications.

The operational expenses for running the towers will be part of the project cost, the official said.

Of the 4,072 mobile towers, 1,054 will be installed in Jharkhand, 1,028 in Chhattisgarh, 483 in Odisha, 429 in Andhra Pradesh, 412 in Bihar, 207 in West Bengal, 179 in Uttar Pradesh, 136 in Maharashtra, 118 in Telangana and 26 in Madhya Pradesh.

The objective of the USOF is to provide widespread and non-discriminatory access to quality Information and Communications Technology (ICT) services at affordable prices to people in rural and remote areas.

Besides, the fund is aimed at providing effective and powerful linkage to the hinterland thereby mainstreaming the population of rural and remote parts of the country.

Giving details of the developmental activities in Naxalhit areas, another official said a total of 4,544 km of roads have been constructed till March 1, 2018, out of the sanctioned 5,422 km roads.

An additional 5,411 km roads are planned to be constructed at a cost of Rs 10,780 crore.