Padma Oil to begin jet fuel supply to Ctg airport via pipeline from Tuesday
Built with Padma Oil’s own funds, the pipeline is in final testing before commissioning
Padma Oil Company Limited is all set to launch operations of a Tk170 crore pipeline Tuesday that will deliver jet fuel directly from its Patenga depot to Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram, the first such facility for any airport in Bangladesh.
Padma Oil Managing Director Md Mofizur Rahman confirmed the schedule and called the project a milestone for the country's energy sector.
"For the first time in Bangladesh's history, jet fuel will reach an airport through a dedicated pipeline. No other airport has this facility. Shah Amanat is the first," he told The Business Standard.
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Built with Padma Oil's own funds, the pipeline is in final testing before commissioning.
"We are coordinating the inauguration with the energy ministry. Although the original plan targeted December, we will open on 23 September, with Energy Secretary Mohammad Saiful Islam expected to attend," Mofizur said.
Earlier, between 10 and 11 September, about 350,000 litres of jet fuel were pumped through the new line to the airport as part of a trial run.
Shah Amanat airport, the country's second largest, requires an average of 200,000 to 250,000 litres of jet fuel a day, with demand rising to 300,000 litres during the annual Hajj season. Until now, supplies were trucked in via fuel vouchers, a process that required 15-20 trips and up to 24 hours.
The new pipeline will reduce delivery time to just 90 minutes while saving at least Tk2.5 crore a year, said project director and Padma Oil Assistant General Manager (Engineering) Anup Kumar Barua.
"Transporting jet fuel by road was time-consuming, expensive, and risky. The pipeline will make the supply safer, faster, and cheaper," Barua told The Business Standard.
Construction of the "Jet A-1 Pipeline from Main Installation (MI) in Guptakhal, Chattogram to Shah Amanat Airport" began on 19 December 2023. Although the estimated cost was Tk170 crore, actual expenditure has been Tk155 crore so far.
The project features a 5.77-kilometre, 8-inch-diameter pipeline capable of carrying 140 cubic metres of jet fuel per hour, equipped with modern monitoring systems.
Barua said the system requires minimal staff. "Earlier, 10 to 15 people were needed to transport oil to the airport. Now a single operator can run the pump by computer," he noted.
Following successful commissioning, trial supply is now underway. "We have already sent 350,000 litres of jet fuel in two days. We expect to launch the project ahead of schedule," he added.
