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Energy and Environment

Governance and Policy in Energy and Environment

At GAIL, we have a sustainable development policy that highlights our approach and initiatives towards economic, social, and environmental aspects while taking both development and ecosystem into account. We also have site-specific SOPs and other operational memos to ensure that all our operations and works are in accordance with the procedures that have the least impact on the environment.

Biodiversity Management

GAIL undertakes environmental impact assessments prior to any new construction activity. We have a well-defined Environment Management Plan (EMP) that outlines the principles and processes for conducting various green-belt and biodiversity management activities at GAIL sites. Our contributions are aligned with the goals and targets of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 and 15 to create a positive impact on the life of living creatures underwater and on land.

We have also contributed towards COMPA (Compensatory Afforestation), which is done for the laying of pipelines through Forest areas.

We have made a steadfast commitment to refraining from any form of deforestation within our operations. Also, our approach to biodiversity management goes beyond mere compliance, aiming to create a net positive impact on biodiversity. Through these initiatives, we strive not only to minimize our ecological footprint but also to actively contribute to the enhancement and restoration of biodiversity in the areas where we operate. We conduct thorough biodiversity risk assessments as part of our strategy, evaluating potential impacts on local ecosystems and species. Importantly, these assessments have not identified any biodiversity risks, showcasing GAIL's proactive approach to environmental responsibility.

Energy Management

GAIL believes that effective energy management can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change, as well as reduce energy costs and improve the overall energy efficiency of buildings and operations. We are dedicated to contributing to energy management through implementing energy-efficient practices and technology in accordance with OEM recommendations.

GAIL's Energy Management Initiatives:

  • Green Hydrogen Blending: GAIL has increased green hydrogen blending in the City Gas Distribution (CGD) network of AGL, Indore, from 2% to 5% in alignment with the National Hydrogen Mission.
  • Integration of Electrical Meters: GAIL integrated electrical meters at VAPL Terminals with SCADA for remote monitoring of power consumption at each station.
  • Renewable Energy Initiative: At GAIL Pata, a rooftop solar PV power plant with a capacity of 5.76 MWp has been put into operation, and there is ongoing work to install an additional 2.64 MWp.

Energy Management Highlights at GAIL for FY 2022-23 are:

These initiatives and achievements underscore GAIL's commitment to effective energy management, reduction of non-renewable energy consumption, and contributions to national energy efficiency goals.

  • Capital investment of approximately INR 16 crore on completed energy conservation projects.
  • In FY 2022-23, the total energy consumed was 1,16,872 GJ from renewable sources and 4,99,48,463 GJ from non-renewable sources.
  • GAIL's Pata plant is a designated consumer under the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) Perform, Achieve, and Trade (PAT) Cycle IV, achieving a 6.17% reduction in energy consumption from the 2016-17 baseline year.
  • In FY 2022-23, the total energy savings achieved was 6,38,956 GJ.
  • At GAIL, all sites are ISO 50001 Energy Management System certified

Emission Management

GAIL is committed to effective emission management which includes monitoring and reporting of emissions, setting targets for reduction, implementing control measures, and regularly evaluating the effectiveness of the implemented measures. As a responsible corporation, we believe we play an important role in contributing to the government of India’s commitment to fulfilling its emission targets in alignment with the NDC (National Determined Contributions) and Paris Accords.

Amongst the many, some of Emission Management Highlights at GAIL for FY 2022-23 are:

  • GAIL's emissions for the reporting period comprise 36,56,175 GJ of Scope 1 emissions and 3,19,380 GJ of Scope 2 emissions, totalling 39,75,555 GJ.
  • GAIL manages emissions through a cloud-based monitoring system linked to emission analyzers.

Responsible Water Management

GAIL is committed to responsible water management. To measure the impact of our operations, we have assessed water-stress sites and further evaluated the risks and opportunities of our operations. Our assessment also helps in the visualization of future demand. There were no negative impacts found on water bodies.

Water Management Highlights at GAIL for FY 2022-23 are:

  • In FY 2022-23, the total water withdrawal from all areas with water stress (Gandhar, Jamnagar, Jhabua) was 1.34 million m3.
  • In FY 2022-23, GAIL has withdrawn 17.5 million m3 of water out of which, 15.56 million m3 of water is sourced from surface water (having TDS < 1000 mg/l), 1.8 million m3 from municipal and only 0.15 million m3 of water from groundwater.
  • GAIL through various initiatives reduced water consumption to 17.59 from 22.19 million m3 in FY 2022-23.
  • Water consumption in water-stress areas accounted for 7.62% of the total consumption.
  • At GAIL, we conduct water audits through third parties to monitor the water demand.

GAIL’s Water Management Initiatives:

  • Water discharge at all manufacturing sites is monitored continuously on real real-time basis via OCEMS (Online Continuous Environment Monitoring System).
  • Completed the Drip Irrigation system for the entire green belt of DT Vizag.
  • 3 nos. of Rainwater harvesting at DT-Vizag resulting in a 50 % reduction in consumption of GVMC water.
  • Zero liquid discharge (ZLD) Design and Basic Engineering for ZLD/treated wastewater recycling at GAIL Pata have been prepared.

We ensure that our operations have no negative effects on the supply and quality of water resources throughout our various sites. We have proactively evaluated and mitigated any water-related risk in the future to make our operations resilient.

Responsible Waste Management

We follow effective waste management practices which involve reducing, reusing, recycling and responsibly disposing of Hazardous and Non-hazardous waste at all sites. We strive to implement a circular economy across our operations by deploying resource-efficient technology.

We conduct waste audits facilitated both internally and externally, to identify more waste-reduction options at the source or through minor operational improvements and to meet regulatory compliance. Till date, no waste-related impact on business operations or products have been discovered during waste audits.

GAIL waste management Highlights for FY 2022-23

  • In FY 2022-23, the total waste generated was 6746.84 MT
  • During FY 2022-23, the total waste recovered through recycling, re-using or other recovery operations was 2615.2 MT
  • GAIL successfully diverted non-hazardous wastes from landfill sites to recyclers, reducing the environmental impact.
  • GAIL Vizag collaborated with HP to recycle printer toner and cartridges. In FY 2022-23, they sent 72 cartridges to a fully permitted recycling facility in Tamil Nadu, meeting ISO 14001 and 9001 standards.
  • GAIL Pata is registered as the brand owner of Polymer Products under the Plastic Waste Management Rules. They successfully completed their Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) obligations for the respective years FY 2021-22 (995 MT) and FY 2022-23 (2885 MT), with certificates received for 3880 MT.

GAIL Waste Management Initiatives

  • GAIL is actively pursuing a research project, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, aimed at recovering value-added chemicals and fuels from petrochemical oily sludge using bubbling fluidized bed pyrolysis. The project aims to mitigate the disposal problem associated with oily sludge while recovering valuable chemicals and fuels.
  • GAIL optimizes resource utilization by disposing of high-calorific waste to the cement industry as a fuel in cement kilns for co-processing, contributing to sustainable resource management.
  • GAIL signed a strategic partnership with MoU with LanzaTech. This partnership explores the conversion of carbon waste into fuels and chemicals, emphasizing GAIL's commitment to sustainable waste management and resource utilization.

Research and Development Initiatives

In FY 2022-2023, GAIL’s focus on R&D initiatives is centred around several key areas, including waste valorization and wastewater recycling, CO2 separation, pipeline integrity management, indigenous catalyst development and hydrogen initiatives.

GAIL R&D Highlights for FY 2022-23

  • For FY 2022-23, GAIL’s total expenditure under R&D/Innovation initiatives is INR 180.62 crore.
  • This includes INR 6.55 crore spent on pursuing collaborative R&D works with various Research institutes and INR 174.16 crore expended on carrying out innovation/developmental initiatives at various GAIL facilities.
  • GAIL’s R&D/ innovation expenditure target was 2% of PBT, against this 2.49 % achieved in FY 2022-23.

GAIL R&D Initiatives

  • Waste Reclamation (Waste valorization initiative): Under the waste valorization and wastewater recycling program, GAIL is collaborating with IIT-Roorkee to develop a co-gasification hydrothermal process. This process aims to simultaneously utilize lignocellulosic biomass and effluent water from petrochemical plants to produce hydrogen-rich methane and nanometal-impregnated carbon hydrides as valuable by-products. These by-products can find applications in fuel cells and batteries as electrocatalysts.
  • Zero Liquid Discharge: GAIL in association with IIT-Madras has developed a lab-scale “hydrate forming” process for the purification of effluent water for its reuse/recycling in the plant. The hydrate process results in minimum sludge and consumes less energy. The lab scale process has shown nearly 75-90% separation efficiency and is being scaled up to a continuous bench-scale mode for further validation.
  • Novel separation processes: GAIL working on the development of novel separation processes that could lower the energy required during the purification of Natural Gas. GAIL R&D in association with IIT-Guwahati is developing a novel high-performance mixed-matrix membrane with high selectivity and permeability for efficient separation of CO2 from Natural Gas.