‘Prepare natural gas use plan for Karnataka’

Mangalore: Considering the energy requirement of Karnataka in the coming years, the Mangalore-based Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has made an appeal to the Karnataka Government to host the creation of facilities to absorb 20 million tonnes of natural gas by 2015. In this regard, it has sought a study on the matter with involvement of current and potential stakeholders.

The KCCI wants the Karnataka Government to leverage the strengths of the State in facilities such as New Mangalore Port and to take benefit of the MoU of (memorandum of understanding) signed between the Karnataka Government and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) for Mangalore SEZ project.

In a letter to the Karnataka Governor, Mr Rameshwar Thakur, KCCI said that there is scope for investment in natural gas handling at New Mangalore Port to the extent of 10 million tonnes by sourcing gas from producers in West Asia and Africa.

Quoting the MoU between the Karnataka Government and ONGC, Mr K. Narasimha Prabhu, President of KCCI, said that ONGC intended to put up an LNG terminal within the premises of New Mangalore Port in the MoU.