Chattogram: The country is set to formally launch its first-ever underground pipeline-based fuel transportation facility from Chattogram to Dhaka on Saturday. With this landmark initiative, experts have opined that a new horizon is going to be opened in the country's fuel oil transportation system which will ultimately result in reducing supply time and carrying cost substantially per annum.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Project Director (PD) Aminul Haque stated that fuel transportation through the newly built 242-kilometer covert facility is set to begin after extensive test-trials and successful pre-commissioning. At least 260-280 metric tons of diesel will be transported from Chattogram to the Godnail depot in Narayanganj every hour through an environmentally friendly, risk-free, cost-effective, and time-saving pipeline.
Haque explained that previously, it required more than 48 hours along with hundreds of oil tankers to carry such a quantity of fuel through waterways or by road. Now, fuel oil will reach the depot in Narayanganj in 12 hours. Test runs of fuel transportation through the newly installed pipeline began in February this year, with commercial operations starting on a trial basis from the evening of June 22.
After fixing some technical issues, a total of five crore liters of diesel have been transported through the pipeline without any system loss. Advisor to the Ministry of Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources Faozul Kabir Khan is scheduled to inaugurate this groundbreaking project at the Dispatch Terminal in Patenga at 11 am on Saturday. Secretary of the Energy and Mineral Resources Department Mohammad Saiful Islam and Engineer-in-Chief of the Bangladesh Army Major General Hasan-uz-Zaman will also attend the function.
The pipeline has an annual transportation capacity of 2.7 million to three million tonnes of fuel oil, which can be increased to five million tonnes in the future. Haque highlighted that it can supply up to 350 tonnes per hour. Currently, there is a demand for around 15 lakh to 20 lakh tonnes of oil in Dhaka. It costs around Taka 326 crore for transportation every year, while the pipeline will bring down the cost to just Taka 90 crore, saving a substantial amount of over Taka 230 crore.
The project will enhance the country's energy efficiency and security, with plans to gradually bring more areas under the facility. Notably, fuel oil is now transported from Chattogram to other parts of the country through rail, road, and waterways, requiring over 110 vessels every month. These traditional methods are associated with transportation losses due to system loss, pilferage, high cost, and supply disruptions during the dry season.
This prompted the authorities to initiate the project to ensure a smooth energy supply. The visions guided the project objectives include the installation of an underground pipeline to transport diesel in an easy, secured, and faster way from the main establishments of the petroleum products marketing companies in Chattogram to Cumilla and Dhaka. The Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) has implemented the project through the 24 Engineering Construction Brigade of the Bangladesh Army.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) first approved the project involving around Taka 2,861 crore in October 2018. It was supposed to be completed in December 2020, but the project cost has risen to around Taka 3,699 crore following delays. Under the project, a 241.28-kilometer underground pipeline with a 16-inch diameter from Chattogram to Godnail in Narayanganj, and an 8.290-kilometer pipeline with a 10-inch diameter from Godnail to Fatulla in Narayanganj have been installed.
A total of nine stations have also been developed with the pipelines crossing through 22 rivers and canals, requiring the acquisition of 286.88 acres of land. A full-fledged modern and automatic depot has been developed in Mogbari under Barura upazila in Cumilla district to facilitate the transportation from Chattogram to Dhaka via Feni, Cumilla, Chandpur, and Munshiganj districts.