Fuel oil transport via Ctg-Dhaka pipeline to begin trial in first week of May

Fuel oil transportation through the new pipeline from Chattogram to Dhaka is set to begin on a trial basis in the first week of May, according to Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) officials.

BPC plans to commence full-scale operations after the trial run, the officials said.

Earlier in March, BPC had planned to start transporting fuel through the new pipeline, but administrative complications delayed the process.

Moni Lal Das, general manager (Commerce and Operations) of BPC, told TBS that project officials held a meeting yesterday (22 April) to review progress. "It was decided that the trial run will begin in the first week of May," he said.

According to BPC officials, once the project becomes operational, the cost of transporting fuel oil will decrease, the supply chain will become more reliable, and environmental pollution can be reduced.

Around 27 lakh tonnes of diesel will be transported annually through the pipeline, saving around Tk236 crore each year.

According to project documents, the project was approved in October 2018 with an initial completion deadline of December 2020. However, actual work began in 2020. The deadline was first extended to December 2022, and later to December 2024.

Initially, the project was estimated to cost Tk2,861 crore, but the figure has now risen to nearly Tk3,699 crore. The project is being implemented by the Bangladesh Army's 24 Engineer Construction Brigade on behalf of BPC.

The pipeline has two sections: one stretching from Patenga in Chattogram through Feni, Cumilla, Chandpur, and Munshiganj to the Godnail depot in Narayanganj; and the other from Godnail to Fatullah.

In addition to the pipeline, the project also includes booster pumps, nine generators, and other related equipment.