Gas companies to provide over 0.55million new connections

ISLAMABAD: Amid burgeoning demand for gas and future requirements of infrastructure, Pakistan’s state-run natural gas distribution companies SNGPL and SSGC will give 0.55 million new gas connections to domestic, commercial and industrial consumers and will also lay gas pipelines of 8,383km to expand its transmission and distribution systems during fiscal 2020/21.

Besides, both the companies will lay gas pipelines to supply gas to Special Economic Zone (SEZ) under CPEC to facilitate industrial activities in the country. The government has allocated Rs1.456 billion in its federal Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) 2020/21, official documents available with The News said.

SNGPL will implement a 29 km gas pipeline project for supply of 30 MMCFD gas to Rashakai SEZ, KPK for which Rs1.153b billion have been earmarked in PSDP. Besides, to supply 40 MMCFD gas to Allama Iqbal Industrial City / M3 Industrial City SEZ, SNGPL has planned laying of 20-Km transmission spur starting from Chiniot to terminal Point (zero point i.e. doorstep) of the economic zone.

The SSGC will lay 9-km pipeline for supplying 13.5 mmcfd of gas to Dhabeji Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Town Border Station (TBS), Sindh. The federal government has allocated Rs303.16 million in PSDP. Besides, construction of 3.5-km pipeline for supplying 13 MMCFD gas to Bin Qasim Industrial Park (BQIP) at TBS, Sindh is also in its plans.