New Delhi: Even as the government seeks to raise the share of natural gas in India’s energy mix from about 6 percent to 15 percent by 2030, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) has pitched gas-based trigeneration as a demand-creation pathway that can be scaled across cities, institutions and industrial clusters.
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In a case study released this month, PNGRB said trigeneration — also referred to as combined cooling, heat and power (CCHP) — can significantly improve fuel utilisation by producing electricity, heat and cooling from a single gas-based system. “Trigeneration, or Combined Cooling, Heat, and Power (CCHP), is an energy-efficient system that simultaneously produces electricity, useful heat, and cooling from a single fuel source,” the study said.
The focus on distributed, behind-the-meter gas use comes against the backdrop of limited gas absorption through the power sector. Around 24 GW of gas-based power capacity in India remains idle or underutilised. PNGRB’s case study positions trigeneration as a way to bypass grid constraints and create steady, localised demand in high-density clusters such as hospitals, IT parks, industrial estates and commercial hubs.
Drawing a comparison with conventional grid supply, the regulator said centralised power plants typically operate at efficiencies of around 30–35 percent, while gas-based CHP and trigeneration systems can achieve much higher efficiencies. “By integrating these three essential energy services into a single system, trigeneration can achieve overall efficiencies in the range of 70–85 percent,” the study said.
PNGRB also pointed to lower emissions and operational advantages, noting that gas-based systems offer “significantly lower emissions” than coal-heavy grid power and improve reliability by eliminating transmission losses through on-site generation.
As part of the report, PNGRB cited operating examples to demonstrate commercial feasibility. At a trigeneration facility installed at a Pune hospital, the system delivered electricity at a landed cost of about Rs 12.5 per kWh compared with a grid tariff of around Rs 17 per kWh. “Savings on tri-generation” were estimated at about Rs 4.5 per kWh, the study said, with the project achieving payback in roughly 30 months.
However, the regulator acknowledged that some early projects were later shut down due to high gas prices and state-level taxes, underscoring that long-term viability depends on competitive fuel pricing and supportive fiscal frameworks.
The case study noted that while trigeneration is technically proven, “sustained viability… is closely linked to competitive gas pricing and supportive fiscal and policy frameworks.” It must be noted that India is dependent on imports to meet around 55 percent of its natural gas demand. PNGRB said it has been engaging with states and working on rationalising transportation tariffs to lower input costs for consumers.
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Going forward, PNGRB argued that with targeted identification of high-potential clusters, early-stage screening of large projects and coordinated gas supply arrangements, trigeneration could move from isolated deployments to a scalable market segment supporting India’s gas expansion goals.
