Reliance gets clearance to construct $208m pipeline in India

India-based Reliance Gas Pipeline (RGPL) has secured the final environment clearance for its Rs14.28bn ($208m) project to build a pipeline through the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra to transport ethane.

RGPL is wholly-owned by Reliance Industries (RIL).

The Economic Times quoted a senior government official as saying: "Based on the recommendation of the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC), the Union Environment Ministry has given environment clearance and coastal regulation zone (CRZ) clearance to the Dahej Nagothane Ethane Pipeline Project (DNEPL) of RGPL."

DNEPL will transport 1.25t per annum of liquid ethane from RIL’s Dahej manufacturing division to Hazira manufacturing unit and then to its Nagothane manufacturing facility.

The clearance to the 486-km long pipeline project has been given subject to certain conditions.

As part of the conditions, RGPL needs to keep aside 2.5% of the total cost of the project towards enterprise social commitment.

The conditions also require the company to follow horizontal drilling technique while passing through major rivers in addition to securing forest clearance for the project.

About 26km of the pipeline will pass through Dahanu Taluka Eco- Fragile Area and requires prior environmental clearance from Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), New Delhi.

The pipeline will begin from Dahej in Gujarat and terminate at Nagothane in Maharashtra with a spur pipeline to Hazira.

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Image: The pipeline will transport 1.25t per annum of liquid ethane. Photo: courtesy of puttsk/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net.