ABB India and THINK Gas Collaborate to Improve City Gas Distribution via Automation
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ABB India Ltd. has completed the implementation of its ABB Ability SCADAvantage solution for THINK Gas Pvt. Ltd., enabling the digitalization and automation of THINK Gas’s city gas distribution (CGD) network across ten Indian States. The CGD network functions in 19 regions Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.
It comprises more than 500 compressed natural gas (CNG) stations, nearly 550,000 domestic piped natural gas (D-PNG) connections, and about 17,000 km of steel pipelines catering to industrial and commercial clients.
THINK Gas has adopted ABB’s cloud-based SCADA system to consolidate the oversight and management of its gas distribution activities from a control center in Chennai. The system includes capabilities for monitoring pressure and flow, reconciling gas, managing billing, and overseeing prices. It further allows for data gathering and management supervision throughout the network, enhancing process effectiveness and decision-making.
As per THINK Gas, the execution has resulted in lower operational costs, with expenses related to operators dropping by as much as 60 percent. The company recognized enhancements in response times and reliability in handling operational parameters.
Chiradeep Datta, Director and Chief Operating Officer at THINK Gas states, “Our collaboration with ABB India supports our efforts to modernize gas distribution infrastructure. The automation system helps improve operational efficiency and provides better visibility across our network.”
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G. Balaji, Senior Vice President of the Energy Industries division at ABB India, says, “SCADAvantage solution is being increasingly adopted across India’s CGD sector. “ABB’s technology is currently used in about 80 percent of the country’s city gas distribution networks. As demand for natural gas grows, digital solutions can support more efficient and reliable energy distribution.”
India plans to raise the proportion of natural gas in its primary energy composition to 15 percent by 2030, beyond current levels. In the last ten years, the nation has developed its CGD infrastructure to provide piped natural gas for home and business usage and CNG for transportation.
ABB is a global technology company specializing in electrification, automation, and digitalization. It caters to sectors such as energy, manufacturing, and transportation, emphasizing enhanced efficiency and sustainability.
The organization has around 110,000 employees globally and is traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange and Nasdaq Stockholm. ABB’s Process Automation division offers solutions for industrial activities in industries like oil and gas, chemicals, and utilities.
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THINK Gas operates in the city gas distribution sector in India, holding 19 CGD licenses from the Petroleum & Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB). The company provides CNG and piped natural gas services across 50 districts in ten states. Its network is expected to expand to over 24,000 inch-km of pipelines and more than 2,000 CNG stations in the coming years. THINK Gas has received foreign direct investment from I-Squared Capital and a consortium of Japanese firms, including Osaka Gas, JOIN, Sumitomo Corporation, and Konoike Transport.