The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) plans to bring petrol and kerosene along with diesel through the pipeline starting in mid-January, originating from Motihari, India. Since 20219, the NOC has been importing diesel from Motihari to Amlekhgunj via the pipeline.

Pralayankar Acharya, the head of the NOC's Madhesh Regional Office, said that the process of bringing petrol and kerosene from the 'multi-product pipeline,' designed to import petrol, diesel, and kerosene, has reached its final stage. The NOC successfully completed the trial of bringing petrol and kerosene through the pipeline under the second phase of the project.

Chief Acharya said, "As part of the trial, we brought petrol and kerosene to Amlekhgunj through the pipeline. The depot has constructed a new pipeline and tank for storage. Currently, we are charging those structures and testing the quality of the meters."

The NOC transported 5,500 kiloliters of petrol through the pipeline on October 5, 2023 and 1,000 kiloliters of kerosene to Amlekhgunj on December 12, 2023. The NOC is now able to continuously bring diesel, along with petrol and kerosene, via the pipeline. Considering the sensitivity of petroleum products, the NOC is currently conducting detailed testing.

Acharya, the office chief, said, "We are closely monitoring any small leaks. We will inaugurate the second phase of the pipeline project in the last week of this month. After that, petrol and kerosene will gradually arrive in Amlekhgunj via the pipeline. Importing petroleum products through the pipeline is much safer compared to truck tankers. Once fuel starts arriving through the pipeline, it will end problems like tanker accidents, fuel theft, adulteration, and environmental pollution."

The pipeline can bring 6,000 kiloliters of petroleum products to Amlekhgunj daily, but it has not yet operated at full capacity due to the lack of increased demand for petroleum products. "The corporation has not yet reached a point where it needs to import 6,000 kiloliters of petroleum products daily," said Acharya. "However, once the pipeline starts importing diesel, petrol, and kerosene, it will operate at full capacity."

South Asia's first cross-border pipeline project, spanning a total length of 69.2 kilometers, includes 33 kilometers in India and 36.2 kilometers in Nepal. Then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi had jointly inaugurated the project on September 10, 2019.

The NOC has been supplying fuel from its Madhesh Regional Depot in Amlekhgunj to depots in Biratnagar, Bhairahawa, Thankot, Pokhara, Birgunj, and Janakpur. Petroleum products have also been sold and distributed to local-level pumps from Amlekhgunj.

Amlekhgunj Depot transitioning to full automation

The Amlekhgunj Depot, operating for nearly five decades, is transitioning to full automation. In the second phase of the pipeline project, the depot has constructed four new vertical tanks to store petrol, diesel, and kerosene. The corporation has installed two transmix tanks and a fire control system to maintain the purity of the petroleum products brought through the pipeline.

Engineer Prashant Bhattarai, overseeing the project, said that the team has completed testing 24 fully automated loading bays and other structures, including a state-of-the-art laboratory, for fueling truck tankers. "We have equipped the 24 loading bays with top filling and bottom filling arrangements for petrol and diesel tankers," he said. "The storage tanks and the new loading bays are about 800 meters apart, which makes the depot even more secure," he added.

The government began constructing the Amlekhgunj Depot in 1973 to ensure the smooth supply and distribution of petroleum products in the country. The depot spans about 67,724 square meters and became operational in mid-January, 1977. It stands as the largest depot in the country.

The Amlekhgunj Depot currently stores 15,110 kiloliters of petrol, 24,810 kiloliters of diesel, and 2,270 kiloliters of kerosene. The government has launched a plan to expand storage capacity in all seven provinces to meet at least three months' demand. Following this plan, the corporation is expanding storage capacity in various provinces.

Amlekhgunj-Lothar pipeline expansion to begin soon

The plan to extend the pipeline from Amlekhgunj to Lothar in Chitwan is in the process of implementation, under the third phase of the pipeline project.

Indian Oil Corporation's team of experts has arrived in Nepal to assist with the petroleum pipeline extension project to Lothar. Chief Acharya said, "We will likely need to conduct a resurvey for the project expansion, and we are studying the forest and protected areas along the pipeline route. The work on extending the pipeline to Lothar is expected to begin next month."