印度首个天然气交易所将于明年3月开幕

中国石化新闻网讯 据11月27日彭博社报道，印度最大的电力交易平台计划在明年3月之前推出该国首家天然气交易所。以满足人们对日益增长的最清洁化石燃料的需求。

印度能源交易所(Indian Energy Exchange)战略总监拉杰什·麦迪拉塔(Rajesh Mediratta)在新德里接受采访时表示，已开始组建基础设施和一个约20人的团队来管理交易所。作为世界第二大人口大国，印度这几年来一直在考虑进行天然气交易，天然气的供应过剩抑制了价格，而天然气使用量的增加又为市场注入了新的活力。

不断恶化的空气质量和印度对进口原油的依赖，也刺激了印度能源战略发生转变。该国计划到2030年将天然气在能源结构中的比重从目前的6%提高到15%，此举引起了包括道达尔(Total SA)和埃克森美孚(Exxon Mobil Corp.)在内的国际石油公司的兴趣。

麦迪拉塔表示，该交易所将通过有竞争力的贸易压低天然气价格，从而在一个严重依赖廉价煤炭满足能源需求的国家，提高天然气使用量。

不过，仍有一些障碍需要克服。印度的天然气市场实现自由交易，让消费者可以在任何地方购买他们想要的燃料，但同时也需要统一的规则。将一定量的国内天然气分配给交易所交易的计划也在等待政府的批准。最后，由于石油部呼吁建立一个全国统一的销售税体系，而天然气的跨境运输却涉及多重征税。

王佳晶 摘译自 彭博社

原文如下：

India’s First Natural Gas Exchange to Be Unveiled by March

India’s largest electricity trading platform plans to unveil the nation’s first natural gas exchange by March as it seeks to tap increasing demand for the cleanest fossil fuel.

Indian Energy Exchange started putting together the infrastructure and a team of about 20 officials to run the bourse, Rajesh Mediratta, strategies director at the company, said in an interview in New Delhi. The world’s second most populous nation has been mulling a gas exchange for several years but the move has been reinvigorated by increasing use of the fuel as a global glut damps prices.

Worsening air quality and the nation’s dependence on imported crude oil has also spurred a transition in India’s energy planning. The country seeks to increase the share of natural gas in its energy mix to 15% by 2030 from the current 6%, drawing interest from global majors including Total SA and Exxon Mobil Corp.

The exchange will help bring down the price of natural gas through competitive trade, boosting usage in a country that relies heavily on cheaper coal for its energy needs, Mediratta said.

Still, there are hurdles to overcome. India’s gas market needs uniform trading rules and freedom for consumers to buy the fuel wherever they want. A plan to allocate a certain volume of domestic gas for trading at exchanges is also waiting for government approval. Finally, there is the cost of multiple taxation linked to moving natural gas across state borders, with the Petroleum Ministry calling for one countrywide uniform sales tax system.