India’s state-run gas utility GAIL (India) Ltd has successfully discharged its first LNG vessel during the Southwest monsoon season at the Dabhol terminal, marking a major milestone in the country’s maritime energy infrastructure LNG Industry reports.

The arrival and berthing of the GAIL Bhuwan on June 2 follows the long-awaited commissioning of a sophisticated breakwater structure that now allows round-the-year operations at the terminal, previously hampered during the annual monsoon months. GAIL's senior leadership, including Chairman and Managing Director Sandeep Kumar Gupta and Director of Marketing Sanjay Kumar, were present to receive the vessel, underlining the significance of this operational breakthrough.

Located on the rugged coastline of Maharashtra, the Dabhol LNG terminal had for years faced operational limitations during the June-to-September monsoon period. The Southwest monsoon brings high winds, turbulent seas and reduced visibility to India’s western seaboard, often making marine logistics both unsafe and unpredictable. As a result, LNG cargoes were either delayed or redirected, creating constraints for downstream supply and disrupting gas flow to industries and power plants.

The terminal, with a current regasification capacity of 5mn tonnes per year (tpy), connects directly to key demand centres via the Dabhol–Bangalore and Dabhol–Panvel pipelines. However, its seasonal downtime during the monsoon not only hindered capacity utilisation but also impacted the broader efficiency of India’s gas distribution network.

With the breakwater now operational and all statutory approvals secured, the terminal has been formally classified as an all-weather port. This designation marks a critical transformation for Indian LNG logistics, particularly as the nation seeks to boost natural gas consumption to 15% of its energy mix by 2030.

The new breakwater is a notable feat of marine engineering. Unlike conventional structures linked to land, the Dabhol breakwater is designed as an island formation - a complex undertaking that demanded innovative, solutions to withstand the volatile sea conditions of the monsoon. The construction involved extensive collaboration among engineering firms, regulatory bodies and environmental agencies to ensure both technical viability and ecological compliance.

By enabling LNG operations throughout the year, the project is expected to greatly improve the terminal’s reliability and throughput. This, in turn, will allow more consistent gas supplies to be delivered to western and southern India, supporting industrial activity and reducing dependence on alternative fuels.

GAIL plans to expand the terminal’s capacity to 6.3mn tpy over the next three years in the first phase of development. Upon completion, Dabhol is projected to handle up to 100 LNG cargoes annually, solidifying its role as a key gateway for India’s energy imports.

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