Google Alert – Bangladesh Army
The much-hyped Chattogram-Dhaka fuel pipeline is set to be officially inaugurated on August 16 as Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) has already completed several trial runs of diesel supply successfully.
Energy Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan will inaugurate the fuel pipeline at Guptakhal Padma Oil Company depot.
The fuel oil supply through the pipeline will bring about revolutionary changes in the country’s energy sector. It will help save crores of taka by preventing oil theft and waste and reduce time.
People involved with the project say that the diesel supply from Chattogram to Dhaka through the pipeline is a milestone in the energy transportation system. Since the launch of the project, five crore litres of oil have been transported through this pipeline as per demand.
About 30 lakh tonnes of diesel will be supplied to Godnail and Fatulla depots in Narayanganj annually through this pipeline. The oil supply capacity of the pipeline is 50 lakh tonnes. About Tk 236 crore will be saved annually through the pipeline, including transportation costs and prevention of oil waste.
Chattogram-Dhaka Pipeline Project Director Md Aminul Haque said, “The work of carrying diesel to Dhaka through the pipeline has started many times. So far, 50 million litres of diesel have been supplied through the pipeline. From now on, oil will be supplied to Dhaka through the pipeline as per the demand of BPC.”
He said, “There have been several successful trials of diesel supply from Chattogram to Godnail in Narayanganj. The pipeline is completely ready. It will be officially inaugurated by Energy Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan on August 16.”
According to BPC sources, fuel oil comes from Chattogram to Dhaka by waterway and road. However, due to political unrest, oil transportation is sometimes disrupted. In addition, the cost of transporting oil by river and road is high, and there are allegations of oil theft.
At the same time, the navigability of waterways decreases during the dry season, making it difficult to transport oil. To resolve this crisis, the project titled ‘Fuel Oil Transport from Chattogra to Dhaka through Pipeline’ was approved in October 2018. The project was completed under the supervision of BPC’s Padma Oil Company.
The 24th Engineer Construction Brigade of the Bangladesh Army has implemented the pipeline project. Initially, the cost of the pipeline project was estimated at Tk 2,861.31 crore. Later, the revised cost stood at Tk 3,600 crore.
Commercial operations will start soon after the inauguration. The pipeline was built at a cost of about Tk 3,700 crore.
BPC spends Tk 326 crore every year on transporting oil from Chattogram to Dhaka in oil tankers. But after commissioning the pipeline, the cost will be Tk 90 crore. This will save BPC at least Tk 226 crore annually.
The total length of the pipeline is about 250 kilometres. Of these, a 16-inch diameter pipe will cover a distance of 241 kilometers from Patenga to Godnail in Narayanganj and a 10-inch diameter pipe will cover a distance of 8.29 kilometers to supply diesel to Fatulla depot.
The country needs at least 65 lakh tonnes of fuel oil annually. Out of this, 10 lakh tonnes are imported from India through the pipeline. The rest of oil is transported in oil tankers.
BPC Chairman Amin ul Ahsan said, “With the launch of this pipeline, our losses will be almost zero. We have taken over the work from the army this month. All the experimental work has already been completed. Now it will be used commercially after the inauguration.”
Although 280 tonnes of diesel were sent per hour in the initial stage, it has been informed that the maximum capacity of the pipeline can be increased to 320 tonnes per hour. The process is going on normally.