A 3.6 million-liter capacity aviation fuel depot has been constructed at Pokhara Regional International Airport (PRIA), about two and a half years after the airport came into operation. Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has built the depot near the airport with an investment of around Rs 680 million.

According to project head Pradeep Yadav, the state-of-the-art depot includes three aviation fuel tanks with a capacity of 1.2 million liters each. “A new aviation fuel depot has been completed at PRIA,” said Yadav, “We are preparing to bring it into operation from the second week of Shrawan.”

The depot construction began in the first week of Shrawan 2080 BS (Mid-July 2023). Nepali contractors built this depot in collaboration with an Indian construction company. “This is the first time such a depot has been built with the corporation’s own investment and by domestic contractors and technicians,” said Yadav, “It’s a matter of pride for the oil corporation as well.”

During peak seasons, flights from Pokhara consume between 18,000 and 22,000 liters of fuel daily. The old airport in Pokhara only had a storage capacity of 64,000 liters. Previously, Nepal Oil Corporation had been managing aviation fuel at the new international airport by transporting it from the old airport via fuel bowsers.

NOC’s Executive Director Dr Chandika Prasad Bhatt stated that the aviation fuel depot has been built in line with international standards. “This will make it easier to serve aircraft for both international and domestic flights,” said Bhatt, “It will now be more convenient to provide quality fuel services.”

To ensure preparedness against possible fire accidents, two 1,200-kiloliter water tanks have also been built at the new depot. Additional infrastructure such as a pump house, office building, and laboratory have been constructed. As aviation fuel is highly sensitive, project chief Yadav said special attention has been given to ensuring quality and safety in the construction of necessary infrastructure. The aviation fuel depot will be operated using a fully automated system.

With PRIA now fully operational, the demand for aviation fuel is expected to increase due to rising domestic and international airline traffic. After the construction of the new depot, NOC will now be capable of supplying fuel to meet the growing demand of airline companies. The corporation stated that this will make aviation fuel sales more organized in the coming days.

The depot at the old airport has four underground tanks each with a storage capacity of 16 kiloliters. The international airport is located about 6.5 kilometers from the domestic terminal, and previously, aviation fuel was transported via dispensers and bowsers from the domestic depot to refuel aircraft at the international airport.

NOC currently has aviation fuel storage capacities of 7,710 kiloliters in Kathmandu, 280 in Biratnagar, 56 in Bhairahawa, 64 in Pokhara, 280 in Nepalgunj, 60 in Surkhet, and 45 in Dhangadhi. The corporation currently has aviation fuel depots at Tribhuvan International Airport, Pokhara, Biratnagar, Bhadrapur (Jhapa), Bhairahawa, Surkhet, Nepalgunj, Dhangadhi, Simara, Janakpur, and others. Temporary fueling arrangements have been made in Simara and Manthali. At some busy airports, aviation fuel is transported by tanker trucks.

Airports in Dang, Dolpa, Jumla, Bhojpur, Bajura, Khanidanda (Khotang), Manang, Phaplu (Solukhumbu), Ramechhap, Rukum Chaurjahari, Rukum Salle, Rumjatar (Okhaldhunga), Rara (Mugu), Simikot (Humla), Taplejung, Tenzing-Hillary (Solukhumbu), Tumlingtar (Sankhuwasabha), and others do not have aviation fuel depots. Aircraft flying to these airports carry enough fuel for the return journey from the origin airport. NOC noted that building aviation fuel depots at these airports also requires proactive support from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.

By Dilip Paudel