Hyderabad: The proposed LNG import facility with a floating storage unit (FSU) in Krishnapatnam port of Nellore district is yet to get final environmental clearances. However, the process has reached its final stage with the Ministry of Forest and Environment accepting the proposal.
The 5 MMTPA (million metric tonne per annum) capacity LNG facility with FSU, onshore mini storage tanks, cryogenic road tanker loading facilities and regasification is proposed as a Rs 1,000 crore project by LNG Bharat Private Limited on Krishnapatnam port premises. The authorities felt that the project development area does not fall in or contain any environmentally sensitive areas and forwarded the same for CRZ clearances.
The terms of reference were issued in 2014 and the proposal was recently accepted for environment clearance. The environment impact assessment study done by Vimta Labs has found that there is no national park, wildlife sanctuary or biosphere reserve within a 10-km radius of the study area.
As per the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, there are no critically endangered, endangered, or threatened rare species of wildlife in the study area. The study found that certain common fauna like jackal, Indian porcupine, stripped squirrel and wild boar were in existence.
