The five million tons a year LNG import and regassification terminal at Puthuvypeen Island was to be completed by end-2009 but now will not be commissioned before early 2011.

"We were supposed to sign a concession agreement with the Kochi Port Trust last year but it has been delayed," PLL chief executive and managing director P Dasgupta told reporters in New Delhi.

"We have not called for financial bids for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for want of the agreement with the Kochi Port Trust. The extended deadline for financial bid submission is June 29. We will go with that only if the concession agreement is signed," he added.

A consortium, led by IHI of Japan and comprising Technigaz of France and Sofregas of Italy, was shortlisted for the EPC bid. Three consortia first submitted technical and commercial bids for the terminal on January 31.

The EPC contract for the project will include regassification facilities to handle imports of 2.5 million tons per annum of LNG and the jetty and related marine facilities capable of handling 5 million tons per annum.

The scope will also include two storage tanks, each with a capacity of about 1,50,000 cubic metres. The import terminal was due to receive its initial LNG imports by 2010 at the latest.

Petronet is in talks to import LNG from the Chevron-operated Gorgon liquefaction project in Australia. Volumes are expected to come from the 25 per cent capacity share being marketed by partner ExxonMobil.

The government's model concession agreement for building import and export berths at major ports by parties other than the governing trusts, has provisions for all commodities except LNG.

Since the model concession agreement does not classify LNG in any category, a fresh exercise has been initiated to include it in the contract.