Nepal Oil Corporation is preparing to import petrol and kerosene, along with diesel, through the pipeline from Motihari, India, starting the first week of this month (January). Since 2019 (2076 BS), the corporation has been importing diesel through the pipeline from Motihari to Amlekhgunj.
The process of importing petrol and kerosene through the ‘multi-product pipeline,’ designed to transport petrol, diesel, and kerosene, has reached its final stages, according to Pralayankar Acharya, head of the Corporation’s Madhesh Regional Office. As part of the second phase of the project, the Corporation has successfully completed testing for importing petrol and kerosene through the pipeline.
Chief Acharya stated, “We have transported petrol and kerosene to Amlekhgunj through the pipeline as part of testing. New pipelines and tanks have been constructed within the depot for storage. Currently, we are working on charging these structures and testing the quality of the meters.”
The corporation transported 5,500 kiloliters of petrol to Amlekhgunj through the pipeline on October 5 2023 and 1,000 kiloliters of kerosene on December 12, 2023. The corporation is now in a position to continuously import petrol and kerosene, along with diesel, through the pipeline. Considering the sensitivity of petroleum products, detailed testing is currently underway.
“We are closely monitoring for any potential small ‘leaks.’ The plan is to inaugurate the second phase of the pipeline project in the final week of this month. After that, petrol and kerosene will gradually arrive at Amlekhgunj through the pipeline,” said Acharya. “Importing petroleum products through the pipeline is considered much safer compared to truck tankers. Once fuel starts arriving through the pipeline, issues such as tanker accidents, fuel theft, adulteration, and environmental pollution will be eliminated.”
The pipeline has the capacity to bring in 6,000 kiloliters of petroleum products to Amlekhgunj daily. However, due to the lack of increased demand for petroleum products, the pipeline is not yet operating at full capacity. “The corporation has not yet reached the point where it needs to import 6,000 kiloliters of petroleum products daily,” said Chief Acharya. “Once diesel, petrol, and kerosene start being imported through the pipeline, it can operate at full capacity.”
This is called South Asia’s first transnational pipeline project, with a total length of 69.2 kilometers. Of this, 33 kilometers are in India, and 36.2 kilometers are in Nepal. On September 9, 2019 (Bhadra 24, 2076 BS), the then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi jointly inaugurated the project.
The corporation’s Madhesh Regional Depot at Amlekhgunj has been supplying fuel to depots in Biratnagar, Bhairahawa, Thankot, Pokhara, Birgunj, and Janakpur. Additionally, petroleum products have been sold and distributed from Amlekhgunj to local pumps.
Amlekhgunj Depot Going Fully Automated
The Amlekhgunj Depot, which has been in operation for nearly five decades, is transitioning to full automation. As part of the second phase of the pipeline project, four new vertical tanks have been constructed at the depot for the storage of petrol, diesel, and kerosene. To maintain the purity of the petroleum products brought through the pipeline, two “transmix tanks” and a fire control system have been set up.
To facilitate fuel filling into truck tankers, 24 fully automated loading bays, along with state-of-the-art laboratories and other infrastructure, have been constructed, and the testing has been completed, according to project engineer Prashant Bhattarai. “The 24 loading bays are equipped with top filling and bottom filling systems for filling petrol and diesel tankers,” he said. “The storage tanks and new loading bays are located about 800 meters apart, which has made the depot even more secure.”
Source: Kantipur
