KARACHI: The Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGC), with the support of the government, is all set to commission a LPG-air mix plant in Balochistan’s Awaran district. The project, fraught with diverse topographical and law and order issues, is being built at an approximate cost of Rs 440 million through the SSGC’s own resources. Once commissioned, the LPG-air mix plant or the Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG) plant would benefit 800 households by handling a capacity of 100 mmbtu/hr (2mmcfd) SNG. It was in 2013 when during an official visit to Awaran, former prime minister announced the installation of SNG plants in various locations of Balochistan, including Awaran, as part of the government’s plan to supply SNG to areas away from the distribution grid. Despite numerous challenges, the SSGC and outsourced contractors have been implementing the project with true grit. Located in one of the most under-privileged areas in Balochistan, the plant site is surrounded by rocky terrains and hard soil. Given the situation of law and order, the SSGC has also sought security cover from the Frontier Corps and the local administration. The supply of SNG to Awaran will help raise people’s living standards by providing affordable fuel to the domestic sector and will also give a new opportunity for commercial sectors to run their businesses with an uninterrupted supply of gas. It will also assist in tackling the issue of deforestation in the area as well as discourage relocation of the locals. In the past, the SSGC had helped set up LPG-air mix plants in Gwadar, Noshki and Surab in Balochistan and in Kot Ghulam Mohammad in Mirpurkhas, Sindh. Published in Daily Times, October 10th 2017.