Ship coming to India carrying 45 thousand tons of LPGImage Credit source: ai generated
When West Asia is burning in the fire of war and there is silence in the sea due to America-Iran tension, India has proved its excellent diplomatic skills. The giant supertanker ‘Sarv Shakti’ loaded with 45,000 tonnes of LPG i.e. cooking gas is trying to cross the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
LPG crisis will end
India is the world’s third largest oil importer and second largest consumer of LPG. In recent times, there was a huge shortage of LPG in the country due to the breakdown of the supply chain from the Middle East. Long queues outside gas agencies, panic among people and shrinking menus in hotels have affected normal life. At such a time, the government oil company Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has purchased this huge gas cargo. If ‘Sarv Shakti’ reaches Indian shores safely, it will act as a lifeline in removing the gas shortage in the market.
The blockade of ‘Hormuz’ spoiled the game
The movement of ships from Hormuz has almost come to a standstill since the American and Israeli attacks on Iran in late February. America has imposed a strict blockade of ships belonging to Iran. Last month, the situation had become so bad that Iran even opened fire on ships trying to cross the route, due to which many ships had to return. But, even amidst this huge tension, New Delhi’s diplomacy paid off. On the basis of successful bilateral talks with Tehran, India has so far evacuated eight LPG ships during the war.
How is ‘Sarv Shakti’ changing the game amid threats?
This supertanker, operating under the flag of Marshall Islands, entered the Persian Gulf in early February and loaded its cargo off the coast of Dubai. Keeping security in mind, it has regularly broadcast that its crew members are Indians and it is going in the direction of India only. This is a very important security measure adopted by ships since the beginning of war.
At present it is moving towards the Gulf of Oman via Iran’s Larak and Qeshm islands. There is no less danger in this journey of 10 to 14 hours. There is a fear of electronic signals being jammed in the area or disappearing from radar (spoofing). Earlier, another Indian tanker ‘Desh Garima’ also had to switch off its transponder and quietly leave the area.
According to Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri, to deal with the crisis, India has increased its domestic LPG production capacity by 60% to 54,000 tonnes. At the same time, daily consumption has also come down from 90,000 tonnes to 80,000 tonnes. Apart from this, the government has given strict instructions to all its ports to give first priority in berthing and unloading of LPG tankers, so that LPG can reach the common people without any hindrance.
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