PNGRB Pitches Gas-Based Trigeneration as India Targets 15% Share by 2030

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.

In a case study released this month, PNGRB said trigeneration — also referred to as combined cooling, heat and power (CCHP) — can significantly improve fuel utilization 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 underutilized. PNGRB’s case study positions trigeneration as a way to bypass grid constraints and create steady, localized 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 centralized 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.