PNGRB bats for level playing field across EV, CNG and LNG vehicles

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has advocated for a level playing field across various vehicle types, including electric vehicles (EVs), compressed natural gas (CNG), and liquefied natural gas (LNG) options. Anjani Kumar Tiwari, a member of the PNGRB, emphasized the importance of consumer economics in framing policies for all fuel types during a recent interview with The Hindu.

He highlighted that economic considerations are crucial for consumers, alongside the need to establish a balanced framework for all vehicle technologies. Achieving this parity, Tiwari suggested, could be facilitated by a combination of appropriate taxation, subsidies, infrastructure support, and policy interventions. The lack of such a framework could complicate consumers' ability to accurately compare the economics of different vehicle options.

The report by TERI and PNGRB aims to identify areas where infrastructure creation, incentives, and tax structures need to be aligned across fuel categories. Without addressing these areas, the overall paradigm would remain unbalanced. Tiwari also noted that recent increases in CNG prices are due to higher input costs following the renewed conflict in West Asia.

He stressed that the immediate priority for India should be ensuring fuel availability, with price adjustments expected once the crisis stabilizes. Furthermore, Tiwari highlighted the potential of compressed biogas (CBG) in reducing India's reliance on imported gas. Under the government's target of establishing 5,000 CBG plants by 2030, these plants could generate around 30-40 million metric standard cubic metres per day (MMSCMD) of gas, depending on the yield of the feedstock.