Although most of the key preparations have been completed, it may still take a few more weeks for the newly constructed 250 km Dhaka–Chattogram underground fuel supply pipeline project to start its commercial operation.

“We had planned to begin commercial operation from 1 April, but this had to be postponed due to the incomplete testing of some equipment,” said Engineer Amir Masud, General Manager (Planning and Development) of the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC), while speaking to UNB.

“Now it is most likely that the operation will begin in the final week of April,” he added.

BPC undertook the underground pipeline project in 2015 to save time and costs, and to ensure an uninterrupted fuel supply to Dhaka from Chattogram.

Officials said that once the project becomes fully operational, it will result in the cessation of the current manual fuel transportation system, particularly for diesel, from Chattogram to Dhaka.

“This means it will replace the present manual system of transportation via tank lorries with an automated pipeline system,” said a senior BPC official.

The new network is expected to save approximately Tk 200 crore annually in transportation costs. In addition, it will enhance energy security, reduce transit time, prevent theft, and lower environmental pollution, he noted.

The project was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in October 2016 with an initial budget allocation of Tk 2,861.31 crore, and a completion deadline set for 30 June 2020.

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Padma Oil Company, a subsidiary of BPC, was tasked with implementing the project—titled “Fuel Supply from Chattogram to Dhaka via Pipeline”—and appointed the 24th Engineering Construction Brigade of the Bangladesh Army as the contractor, following some complexities.

The budget was later revised to Tk 3,600 crore and the timeline extended multiple times. A trial test run was conducted, with April 1 initially set as the target date for full operation.

Since independence, fuel has primarily been transported from Chattogram’s main depot to other regions via waterways and railways.

However, this traditional system has become inefficient due to high costs, significant theft, “system losses,” and delays.

BPC officials said, initially, the underground pipeline will supply at least 3 million tonnes of petroleum products annually to depots in Borura (Cumilla) and Godhnail–Fatullah (Narayanganj). They added that the pipeline’s capacity could be expanded to 5 million tonnes in future.

Sources indicated that Bangladesh’s annual fuel demand averages 7 million tonnes, with over 3 million tonnes consumed in the Dhaka division alone.

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At present, around 200 oil tankers transport fuel from the Guptakhali depot in Patenga to depots in Chandpur, Godhnail, and Fatullah, from where it is distributed via road or rail.

To date, 241.28 kilometres of pipeline have been installed, stretching from Guptakhali (Patenga) to Godhnail (Narayanganj), passing through Feni, Cumilla, Chandpur, and Munshiganj.

For safety, the 16-inch diameter pipeline is buried 5 feet underground and protected by a three-layer extruded polyethylene coating. An additional 8.29-kilometre, 10-inch diameter connecting pipeline links Godhnail to Fatullah.

The pipeline route crosses 22 rivers and canals and includes nine stations and a new oil depot in Borura (Cumilla).

BPC also plans to construct a 59.23-kilometre, 8-inch diameter pipeline from Cumilla to Chandpur to streamline fuel supply to the Chandpur region.

BPC sources said they have implemented a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system to ensure continuous monitoring and control of the pipeline.

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The entire 250-kilometre pipeline will be overseen from a master control station at the Chattogram Dispatch Terminal. Optical fibre cables will enable leak detection and location tracking, BPC officials said.