New Delhi, Dec 6 (IANS): The central government plans to build three more liquefied natural gas terminals on the east coast, an official said on Tuesday.

Additional Secretary in the Petroleum Ministry A.P. Sawhney said at the ongoing Petrotech international conference here on hydrocarbons that the three new terminals planned will be located at Ennore, Kakinada and Dhamra ports.

The government is also looking at reviving stranded gas-based power generation capacity in the country, Sawhney said.

Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said here last week that India plans to double its natural gas consumption from the current 120 million standard cubic metres a day to 240 mscmd in five years.

In a bid to boost India's low gas consumption of six per cent in the energy mix, as compared to a world average of 24 per cent, the government had deregulated the pricing mechanism for producers, the minister said.

To increase the use of gas as a clean fuel, Pradhan said India had drawn up major investment plans, particularly for the eastern and southern regions which have low gas use.

"Around $20 billion investment has been planned in the next five-seven years for gas exploration, specifically from the eastern offshore and for deepwater wells exploration," he said.

Pradhan said three fertiliser units in the eastern region were being revived with the help of gas, which would aid in the re-industrialisation of 20 cities.

"GAIL is undertaking the Jagdishpur-Haldia and Bokaro-Dhamra natural gas pipeline project and a series of LNG terminals are planned along the east coast," he added.