Chattogram: All arrangements are in place to initiate fuel supply through the underground pipeline extending from Chattogram to Dhaka starting April 1, as the Tk 3600 crore project is anticipated to reach completion within March, an official disclosed. “The 250-kilometre Chattogram-Dhaka underground network will ensure undisrupted and secured supplying of petroleum products replacing costly and outdated existing system,” stated Anupam Barua, Director (Operation and Planning) of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) to BSS.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the project, titled “Supply of fuel oil in the Pipeline from Chattogram to Dhaka,” is being implemented by BPC. This advanced automated fuel supply network is projected to save approximately Tk 200 crore annually in transportation costs. It aims to bolster energy security, reduce transportation time, and minimize pilferage and environmental pollution. Historically, major fuel supplies from primary depots in Chattogram to other parts of Bangladesh have been transported via waterways, with a minor portion using rail routes since Independence. This outdated system has led to increased transportation costs, significant pilferage, system losses, and time delays.
Initial estimates suggest that at least 30 lakh metric tons of petroleum products can be transported through the land network to Barura in Cumilla and Godanail-Fatulla depots in Narayanganj. The network has the potential to supply up to 50 lakh metric tons annually in the future, according to Anupam Barua. “Pipe installation is fully completed, and 98-99 percent of the tank station construction is finished. Pre-commissioning activities will be completed by March 30,” Barua added.
The nation’s current average fuel oil demand stands at 70 lakh tons annually. Anupam Barua noted, “Of this, about 30 lakh tons of fuel is used in the Dhaka division. Almost all of this oil is taken by at least 200 oil tankers from the Guptakhal main depot in Patenga to the Chandpur, Godanail, and Fatulla depots in Narayanganj by waterways. From there, it is transported by road. Some fuel oil is also transported by railway wagons.”
The pipeline construction project was initially conceived in 2015 with a targeted completion by 2017, following approval by ECNEC in October 2016 at an initial budget of Tk 2,861.31 crore. The completion deadline was set for June 30, 2020. However, complexities in the implementation process prompted the government to entrust the project to the 24th Engineering Construction Brigade of the Bangladesh Army, supervised by Padma Oil Company, a BPC subsidiary. The budget and timeline were revised several times, resulting in a Tk 800 crore increase, bringing the total to Tk 3600 crore.
Fuel oil supply through the underground pipeline has already commenced on a test basis, preparing for full-scale operations from April 1. To date, 241.28 kilometers of the pipeline have been installed from the Guptakhal depot in Patenga to Godanail in Narayanganj through Feni, Cumilla, Chandpur, and Munshiganj. The 16-inch diameter pipeline is laid five feet underground for security, with an additional 8.29 kilometers of 10-inch diameter pipeline connecting Godanail to Fatullah.
The entire pipeline is safeguarded by a three-layer extruded polyethylene coating. It traverses the beds of 22 rivers and canals, with nine stations along its route, and a new fuel depot established in Cumilla’s Barura upazila. As part of future expansion plans, BPC intends to install another 59.23-kilometre, 8-inch diameter pipeline from Cumilla to Chandpur to facilitate oil distribution to the Chandpur region.
BPC sources confirmed the completion of the project’s supervisory control and data acquisition setup. The 250-kilometer pipeline’s activities will be managed from the master control station at the Chattogram dispatch terminal, with an optical fiber cable line integrated for detecting potential leakages.