Varanasi, January 13, 2024: In a landmark initiative aimed at mitigating environmental impact, the world’s first floating Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) station has been successfully established at NaMo Ghat in Varanasi. This groundbreaking project originated from a collaborative proposal put forth by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during the fiscal year 2016-17, while they were on the banks of the River Ganga in Varanasi.

Sushil Kumar, the General Manager of GAIL, Varanasi, shared the details of this innovative CNG station with a group of journalists and photo-journalists from Tripura. Kumar highlighted that the inspiration behind this initiative came when both PM Modi and CM Adityanath observed diesel engine-run boats emitting harmful black smoke along the River Ganga near NaMo Ghat.

The collaborative proposal included the establishment of a CNG station at NaMo Ghat and the conversion of diesel engines in boats to CNG engines. The Ministry of Petroleum (MoP) issued an order for the setup, and GAIL, Varanasi, was awarded the tender for its implementation.

Investing approximately Rs 13 crore, GAIL successfully established the world’s first floating CNG station at NaMo Ghat and a second one at Rabidas Ghat, located around 80 kilometers away. The setup process took 6-9 months, and the station has a storage capacity of 5000 kilograms of CNG. GAIL commenced gas sales to an average of 1000-1500 boats daily from 2021, with a provision for mobile refilling units.

Kumar mentioned GAIL’s initiative to convert diesel-run boats into gas-run boats, funded by Rs 14 crore from its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund. Approximately 780 boats have been converted, with an additional 180 in the process. The Varanasi Municipal Corporation identified the boats, and each conversion cost around Rs 1.50 lakh.

Highlighting the cost-effectiveness of CNG, Kumar stated that it is priced at Rs 83.67 per kg with a 20 percent profit margin. The two floating CNG stations currently sell around 800 kgs of gas daily, and there are plans to set up three more floating CNG stations along the banks of the River Ganga.

Varanasi currently boasts 26 CNG stations, including the two floating stations, selling a total of 70,000 kilograms of gas daily. The introduction of the floating CNG stations is a significant step towards cleaner and more sustainable transportation in the region.