Examine how underground strategic storage of hydrocarbons such as LPG strengthens India's energy security. What are its limitations?

Energy security means a steady supply of energy at a price people can afford. India imports about 60% of its LPG, and about 90% of those imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz [3]. Underground rock caverns, such as the 80,000 MT Mangaluru cavern, India's largest [1], add a cushion against supply shocks. However, storage only buys time. It does not make India less dependent on imports.

How underground storage strengthens energy security

• Buffer against shocks: During the 2026 West Asia crisis, LPG stocks covered only about 40 days, against 60+ days for crude and fuels [2]. Caverns lengthen this thinner LPG cushion.
• Port-linked logistics: A pipeline links New Mangalore Port to the terminal [1]. This allows bulk unloading and smooth storage.
• Safety and land use: Rock caverns are less exposed to fire, sabotage and weather than above-ground tanks, and they use less surface land.
• Proven model: It builds on India's first LPG cavern at Visakhapatnam (60,000 MT) [4] and works alongside ISPRL's crude oil reserves.
• Welfare link: Steady LPG supply protects the clean-cooking gains made under PM Ujjwala Yojana.

Limitations

• Import dependence stays: The cavern is still filled by sea, through the same Gulf routes [1][3].
• Limited cover: The release does not say how many days of national demand 80,000 MT can meet [1]. A long blockade would outlast the stock.
• Must be full in advance: Storage helps only if stocks are filled before a crisis. Buying and holding the gas ties up money.
• Geology and time: Caverns need suitable rock and take years to build. Few sites qualify, and they sit on the coast, far from inland demand.
• No fixed stock rule: Days of cover are reported for crude and fuels, but there is no published minimum-days rule for LPG [2].

Underground storage makes India more resilient, but it cannot by itself make supply secure. India should combine more caverns with a legally required minimum LPG stock, buy LPG from more countries, and expand piped natural gas to reduce demand. This layered approach would make LPG supply reliable and help reach SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy).