India / Policy & compliance
MoPNG Gives Eligible CBG Plants Until March 2027 to Install Mandatory Online GC
A one-time transition allows eligible operating CBG plants to use a functional online gas analyser while they procure and commission the prescribed online gas chromatograph or mass spectrometer.
A limited compliance window
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has introduced a one-time transitional arrangement for operational CBG plants seeking eligibility under the Administered CBG Price framework. Plants that are otherwise eligible and have a functional online gas analyser may be considered under the mechanism until 31 March 2027, even if an online gas chromatograph or mass spectrometer has not yet been commissioned.
The clarification refers to extended procurement and commissioning timelines reported by stakeholders. It is a temporary compliance window, not a permanent replacement of the prescribed online measurement equipment.
The requirement returns from April 2027
From 1 April 2027, installation and commissioning of the prescribed online gas chromatograph or mass spectrometer becomes mandatory for continued eligibility under the framework. The other conditions of the administered pricing arrangement and the applicable GOBARdhan operational guidelines continue to apply.
Operators should therefore treat the transition as time to complete procurement, installation, calibration, commissioning and documentation, rather than as a reason to defer the project indefinitely.
What operating plants should do now
Plant teams should confirm that the existing online gas analyser is functional, its readings are recorded and its calibration and quality-control records are available. They should also obtain a firm delivery and commissioning schedule for the prescribed equipment, check sampling and metering interfaces, and retain evidence needed for buyer and scheme eligibility review.
The clarification may reduce an immediate compliance blockage for some operating plants, but it does not establish gas quality, production or offtake performance. Those matters still depend on the plant's measurements, operating records, buyer requirements and applicable agreement.
Evidence & further reading
Source material
Technical references inform the discussion. Final design, operating limits and policy eligibility depend on the project and applicable current documents.