Energy security: New aviation fuel pipeline gets underway
21 km underground pipeline to link Muthurajawela with BIA 92,000 cubic metres of Jet A-1 storage capacity planned Rs. 28 b profit this year being channeled into infrastructure: CPC
Construction of a new Jet A-1 aviation fuel pipeline linking Muthurajawela with the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), together with a 92,000-cubic metre aviation fuel storage facility, commenced on Friday (2), with the projects expected to strengthen Sri Lanka’s aviation fuel supply infrastructure.According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), construction commenced under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, with the projects aimed at ensuring aviation fuel security, reducing transportation costs, and expanding storage capacity to meet future demand.The new Jet A-1 storage facility in Muthurajawela will comprise five tanks with a combined capacity of 92,000 cubic metres.The facility will include two tanks with a capacity of 30,000 cubic metres each, two 15,000-cubic metre tanks, and an additional 2,000-cubic metre tank.The Muthurajawela facility will be connected to the BIA through a 21 km underground pipeline, measuring 10 inches in diameter. The project is expected to be completed within 30 months.
Meanwhile, Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Ltd. (CPSTL) has commenced a separate project to construct three additional storage tanks at its Muthurajawela Terminal, which will increase storage capacity by a further 40,000 cubic metres.The project consists of two 15,000-cubic metre tanks and one 10,000-cubic metre tank. It has an 18-month contractual period and is scheduled for completion in April 2028.Speaking at the event, President Dissanayake said that the Government’s objective was to maintain a strong State presence in the energy market while ensuring efficient services to the public.Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation and Energy Anura Karunathilaka said that Sri Lanka was entering a period of energy transition, with the Government expecting to add 1,200 MW of solar power capacity to the national grid by 2029.He stressed that the country should focus not only on controlling fuel prices but also on reducing fuel consumption through greater electrification and increased use of fuel-efficient and electric vehicles.
Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) Chairman D.J.A.S. De S. Rajakaruna, meanwhile, said that the corporation had recorded a Rs. 28 billion profit this year, following a Rs. 36 billion profit last year.According to Rajakaruna, the CPC’s profits are being reinvested in infrastructure development, including increasing fuel storage capacity, modernising oil-filling facilities, constructing new pipelines, and upgrading existing petroleum infrastructure.
