As much as 42,000 metric tonnes of diesel worth about $34 million has been exported to Bangladesh in the last one year since the inauguration of the friendship pipeline in 2023.
Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma provided the information while inaugurating the Liaison Office of Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) in Dhaka on Monday.
The Friendship Pipeline Project which was jointly inaugurated by the prime ministers of India and Bangladesh virtually on 18 March 2023 is the first cross-border pipeline for supply of petroleum products to Bangladesh.
This pipeline has a capacity to transport one million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA) of high-speed diesel.
It has been completed at a total estimated cost of over INR 375 crore, of which, over INR 285 crore has been spent on construction of the Bangladesh portion of the pipeline under a government of India grant, the envoy said.
With the completion of the pipeline project, cross-border supply of high-speed diesel is being done faster and more economically with a minimal carbon footprint putting in place a sustainable, reliable and cost-effective way of transporting high-speed diesel to Bangladesh.
Mr Bhaskar Jyoti Phukan, managing director at Numaligarh Refinery LimitedNRL), and Mr Md. Tipu Sultan, MD at Meghna Petroleum Ltd, were present during the inauguration.
High Commissioner Pranay Verma said India and Bangladesh have made unprecedented progress in advancing relations between the two countries in the last decade.
One of the key manifestations of that transformation is the growth in bilateral trade and economic engagement and connectivity links, he mentioned.
Mr Verma noted that collaboration in the power and energy sector has become one of the hallmarks of this all-encompassing relationship and the friendship pipeline is a testament to the growing partnership in this important sector.
The Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) has taken ownership of the pipeline and is now operating the pipeline with the last four consignments of high-speed diesel through the pipeline having been managed by them independently.
Mr Verma also said that with the inauguration of the liaison office, NRL would be able to more effectively explore such collaborations with the Bangladesh authorities in the future for supply petroleum products.
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