[Deepak]

This news is from Petronet LNG's website...

The ground breaking ceremony for the LNG terminal at Kochi was held on Monday the 29th January, 2007 at the site of Puthuvypu island in Kochi. The ceremony was attended by the local MPs, MLAs, State Govt. ofifcials and senior ofifcials of Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation and Cochin Port Trust etc.

The project consists of a Jetty, 2 storage tanks and the regasification facilities – unloading arms, two full containment type LNG tanks, vaporization system, utilities and off-site facilities. The gas will be marketed by IOCL, GAIL and BPCL and supplied in the States of Kerala, Tamil Nadu & Karnataka through a pipeline being laid by GAIL. The LNG Receiving and Regasification Terminal at Kochi would satisfy the enormous demand of natural gas for power, fertilizers, petrochemicals & various other industries in the Southern States. The company has completed various pre-project activities including clearances from statutory authorities.
The work for the boundary wall for 32 hectare of the project site has been awarded and will begin soon. The company has already received the EPC bids for the construction of the LNG terminal at Kochi and the work would be awarded by the end of March, 2007. The LNG Terminal will be commissioned by June, 2010.

The Company has identified consumers in and around Kochi for utilization of regasified LNG. All the pre-project activities including various on-shore and off-shore surveys / investigations, preparation of Detailed Feasibility Report and Basic Engineering Package, Mathematical and Physical Modeling Studies, Terrestrial and Marine Environment Impact Assessment Studies have been completed.

The Company has received Environment Clearance from the Ministry of Environment & Forest, New Delhi.