Amid the ongoing standoff between Iran and the US, India has successfully taken out two of its ships—*Shivalik* and *Nanda Devi*—from the restricted Strait of Hormuz. Both these ships are filled with LPG; However, the key question remains: If the LPG loaded on these two ships reaches India safely, will it be enough to solve the country’s LPG crisis—at least for a few days? Do these two ships carry enough LPG to help India deal with this crisis for some time to come, or will the cargo loaded in them hardly provide any temporary relief? What is the reality about LPG loaded in *Shivalik* and *Nanda Devi*? Today we will discuss this in detail.
In fact, on March 14 itself, Iran had allowed Indian flagged ships—*Shivalik* and *Nanda Devi*—to exit the Strait of Hormuz. After crossing the Strait of Hormuz, both these ships are now heading towards India; Notably, *Shivalik* is headed towards Mundra port of India, while *Nanda Devi* is scheduled to reach Kandla port of India. According to Rajesh Kumar, Special Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, these two ships are loaded with a total of 92,700 metric tonnes of gas.
Of this total quantity, Shivalik is loaded with about 45,000 metric tonnes of gas, while Nanda Devi is loaded with 47,700 metric tonnes of gas. Given that India’s daily LPG consumption is about 8,000 metric tons, the total cargo from both ships—at this consumption rate—will be enough to meet the country’s needs for about 13 days.
Additionally, according to Rajesh Kumar, Special Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, a total of 22 Indian ships are still stranded in the Persian Gulf. These ships have not yet been able to get out of the Strait of Hormuz. As a result, the goods brought by these two ships alone will not make much of a difference in solving the larger crisis. It is absolutely true that domestic production in India has increased by 28 percent; This has increased to about 1.5 million tonnes per month from the earlier production of 1.158 million tonnes per month. As a result, India is now producing enough gas domestically to comfortably run its operations for 15 days. Furthermore, given that Iran has recently allowed two ships to exit the Strait of Hormuz, if it agrees to allow similar passage for Indian ships, India’s gas supplies could completely return to their previous levels within a few days, thereby ending the current crisis.
LPG consumption statistics in India
According to government data, the annual consumption of cooking gas (LPG) in India has increased six times in the last 30 years. While consumption was only 446 thousand metric tons in 1998–99, it will increase to 2,754 thousand metric tons by 2025–26. If seen on a daily basis, this figure is equivalent to a consumption rate of 7,500 tonnes per day. In India, LPG consumption is lower in rural areas compared to urban areas.
