The disrupted LNG imports through Strait of Hormuz has forced Gujarat’s major suppliers have slashed industrial gas deliveries up to 50 per cent.
| Photo Credit:
ABEER KHAN
Amid tightening natural gas availability, Gujarat has permitted industries dependent on gas-based utilities to switch to alternative approved fuels without obtaining fresh environmental approvals. The temporary relaxation by the state pollution regulator —Gujarat Pollution Control Board — is intended to help units maintain production while fuel supplies remain constrained.
In a recent notification, the state regulator said industries can use approved liquid fuels to run boilers, furnaces and other utilities affected by gas shortages. Units must inform the board about the name of the utility, its capacity, the alternative fuel proposed and the quantity to be used.
The regulator clarified that the use of alternate fuels must be proportionate to the shortfall in gas supply, signalling that the relaxation is meant strictly as a stop-gap arrangement to ensure industrial activity continues uninterrupted. “In the interest of the environment, non-approved fuels should not be used in any manner,” GPCB stated in the notification.
The GPCB said the relaxation will remain valid for three months, after which the board will review the situation based on the availability of gas and decide whether the temporary measure needs to be extended. Hailing the move, Pathik Patwari, Chair of the Gujarat Council of Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) said, “The notification from GPCB giving a blanket nod to industries to use alternate fuels is a welcome relief . However, the prices of some of these alternate fuels have started increasing so the question on availability and affordability remains.”
Under the board’s fuel notification, approved fuels include coal, lignite, furnace oil, light diesel oil (LDO), kerosene, naphtha, biogas, briquettes and charcoal, among others. Petroleum coke (petcoke) is also notified as an approved fuel but its use is restricted to specific sectors — such as cement manufacturing units, thermal power plants, glass and refractories industries — and only when the sulphur content is below seven per cent.
The move from GPCB comes at a time when India is currently facing a significant shortfall in natural gas and related commercial LPG supplies, largely due to disruptions in global energy flows triggered by ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia, especially the conflict involving the U.S., Israel and Iran.
This has disrupted LNG imports through key shipping routes like the Strait of Hormuz, forcing major suppliers and distributors such as Gujarat Gas Ltd and Sabarmati Gas to issue force majeure notices and slash industrial gas deliveries up to 50 per cent. These supply limitations are affecting multiple sectors across the state. The highly gas‑dependent ceramics and tile industry in Morbi—a major hub accounting for a large share of India’s ceramic production—has seen temporary shutdowns or slowed operations due to constrained fuel supplies. .
Published on March 13, 2026