Unlocking the potential of marine natural gas hydrate energy in India
Natural gas is an efficient bridge fuel between high-emission fuels and renewable energy systems. Due to limited conventional natural gas reserves, India imports more than half of its natural gas requirements. Increased production of natural gas from domestically available resources could help India reduce gas imports, achieve national emission intensity targets, and honour international climate commitments. Marine gas hydrates are a vast energy resource, and its sheer size demands evaluation. This brief discusses the strategic importance of marine gas hydrates, ongoing global exploratory programs, the various techniques attempted hitherto for the production of methane from gas hydrates and their efficacy, and India’s initiatives in commercialisation. India has to make clear determinations by increased investments on hydrate research, development of Indian reservoir-specific production technologies, and financial incentives for promoting commercial-scale natural gas production from local marine gas hydrate reservoirs.
