As India’s city gas distribution (CGD) network hurtles toward a transformation, there is a new excitement in the air. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board’s (PGNRB) has set an ambitious 120 million PNG connection target by 2030. And the nation aiming for up to 10% blending in natural gas pipelines by 2030, the currently used galvanized iron (GI) pipes are likely to falter.
Launched in January 2023, the National Hydrogen Mission aspires to convert India into a green hydrogen hub, but embrittlement risks to the pipeline plague the existing CGD pipeline infrastructure. This happens as atomic hydrogen permeates steel, causing cracks and leaks as the blends cross a certain threshold. It has become critical as the PNGRB raises the blending limits from 5% (2023) to 8% and beyond with phased hikes. Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing (CSST)—flexible, durable, and hydrogen-ready—emerges as the strategic upgrade for last-mile safety and efficiency for India’s blending journey.
The hydrogen blending imperative
Green hydrogen integration with natural gas demands resilient materials. Here, the CSST’s 300-series stainless steel proves far more resilient in maintaining its integrity at and above 20% Hydrogen blends. Its polyethylene (PE) jacket further acts as barriers, ensuring leak-proof performance, validated by field pilot studies.
India has already started pioneering green hydrogen blending in its gas networks through landmark projects proving its seamless integration. The government-owned NTPC’s Kawas branch in Gujarat launched the nation’s first initiative in January 2023 by blending green hydrogen from a 1MW floating solar plant into PNG, reliably serving more than 500 township homes without a single leak.
Similarly, Adani Total Gas in Ahmedabad in 2024 injected 2.2-2.3% hydrogen into domestic and commercial lines for 4,000 Shantigram consumers, proving effortless expansion on existing infrastructure. These successes have positioned it as hydrogen-ready, outshining the brittle GI pipes.
These successes signal CSST’s edge: Hand-bendable 15-75m coils weave through urban chaos—high-rises, commercial-industrial complexes, heritage zones— substantially reducing excavation costs. Mechanically connected fittings eliminate welding errors, reducing the number of joints. And CSST already has a Kitemark TM Certificate BSEN 15266:2007 stainless steel pliable corrugated tubing kits in buildings for gas.
Even in seismic-prone areas, CSST outshines GI. ICC-ES AC 156 certification—the global benchmark for seismic performance—ensures CSST withstands extreme lateral displacements of up to 2 meters, absorbing shocks from earthquakes without rupture or joint failure, amply demonstrated in Japan’s Tohoku (2011) near-zero-failure record.
Global Benchmarks, Local Payoff
Global benchmarks in pipelines– USA, Japan, the UK, and South Korea– deliver compelling local payoffs for India’s CGD networks. Installation times plummet thanks to CSST’s flexible coils, lifecycle maintenance costs drop, underpinned by 50-plus-year service life versus GI’s mere 15-25 years.
Seismic ruptures and lightning-induced fires also show a sharp drop, with Japan’s city gas networks remaining operational for 98.6% of the 31 million customers nationwide during and after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake.
Enhanced durability shines in high hydrogen-blend pilots, positioning CSST as the resilient backbone for urban India, and the country’s realities amplify CCST’s value. After all, 7.5 million hectares of land are prone to annual floods, which snap the rigid CGD lines, 60% of the land remains in the seismic high-risk zones vulnerable to fractured joints, while cyclones topple support systems.
Hence, India must swiftly enact a strategic policy roadmap to accelerate CSST adoption across its city gas distribution networks with millions outside its purview. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) should offer safety as an option using CSST for all seismic Zone IV plus regions and green hydrogen blending pilots. It should also ensure compliance with global benchmarks like ICC-ES AC 156.
A ₹5,000 crore Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme will catalyse domestic manufacturing of 300-series stainless steel and PE jackets, slashing import dependence. PNGRB can sweeten the deal with a 15% tariff return boost for resilient networks, making CSST financially irresistible. Retrofit incentives will modernise legacy grids in high-rises and commercial and industrial areas without excavation overhauls. After all, CSST doesn’t just pipe gas—it secures energy independence, cuts emissions by 50%, and quake-proofs 100 million kitchens.
