IOC set to commission Paradip-Hyd pipeline by March

Visakhapatnam Fuel supply in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha will get a shot in the arm with the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) exuding confidence to commission the Rs 3,338-crore Paradip-Hyderabad Pipeline Project (PHPL) by March 31, 2024.

Aimed at enhanced fuel supplies through hassle-free uninterrupted movement to the retail outlets in the three States, the project will link Paradip Refinery in Odisha to Telangana’s capital Hyderabad via several areas of Andhra Pradesh. The company is setting up a 1.8 lakh kilolitres additional tankage at Malkapur terminal near Nalgonda.

PHPL will fuel economic growth in the three States by connecting 16 districts in AP, Telangana and Odisha with pipelines laid across agriculture fields, underneath bridges, flyovers and rivers including mighty Godavari. The project launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018 has missed the deadline several times due to land acquisition problems and the prolonged spell of Covid-19 pandemic.

IOCL Executive Director and State Head of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh B Anil Kumar said here on Wednesday that the pipeline has been commissioned till Vijayawada and completed till Hyderabad. He said it will be commissioned by the end of the financial year.

Of the 1,212 length of pipeline, Andhra Pradesh will have coverage of 723 km. Work is going on at a brisk pace, he stated. IOCL is constructing a new terminal at Atchutapuram near here at a cost of Rs 466 crore. It will be completed by the end of the current year. A new LPG bottling plant is being built at Chittoor with an investment of Rs167 crore. It will be operational by February, 2024.

The official said a new depot has been established by IOCL at Guntakal at a cost of Rs 350 crore and made operational last year. In addition to these, the oil major is also revamping its facilities at Vijayawada terminal at a cost of Rs 316 crore. Anil Kumar said IOCL is also keen on popularising biofuels and is working for Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT).