Team Blitz India
NEW DELHI: In a classic example of waste to wealth, India has come forward to help Iraq reduce its pollution levels by tapping the natural gas waste which it burns as a by-product of its oil operations. According to a World Bank estimate, Iraq burns 70 per cent of its natural gas waste which is roughly 16 billion cubic metres of petrol every day.
Calculated on an annual basis, this gas burnt in Iraq is equal to the amount of oil that India imports every year. Putting two and two together, India has proposed to set up a liquefaction plant in Iraq to tap the gas which is getting flared, convert it into transportable LNG, bring it back to the country, reconvert it into gas and use for domestic consumption.
According to a senior Government source, “The difficulty is more about getting visas and deploying large teams to investigate and develop a strategy on the ground than intent.” India, the world’s thirdlargest energy consumer, constantly explores innovative strategies to meet its growing energy demands.
The plan addresses the issue of wasteful gas flaring and offers a valuable opportunity for India to enhance its energy portfolio. India and Iraq discussed the issue of LNG transportation last month during the joint commission meeting. The two-way conference, which takes place after a 10- year hiatus, followed the National Security Advisors’ meeting in March last year.
Iraq has experienced a problem with gas flaring. The nation aims to stop burning associated gas in oilfields to decrease losses and gas imports. Additionally, there is growing agreement that the increase in cancer incidence is related to chemicals released into the air.
