The first-ever cross-border energy pipeline between Bangladesh and India – the Bangladesh-India Friendship Pipeline – is set to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi via video conference on Saturday afternoon.
Here are some facts about the pipeline:
Length
The 130-kilometre pipeline stretches 125km inside Bangladesh territory and 5km inside India.
Cost
The pipeline was built at a cost of around Rs3.77 billion, with the cost of the Bangladesh portion Rs2.85 billion, being borne by the Indian government under its grant assistance.
Capacity
The pipeline has the capacity to transport 1 million tons of high-speed diesel per annum. It will initially supply diesel to seven districts in northern Bangladesh.
Signing of agreement
A long-term agreement was signed in 2017 to import diesel from India through the pipeline, which stretches from West Bengal's Siliguri to a Meghna petroleum depot in Dinajpur's Parbatipur.
Project launch, delay
The bilateral project launched in March 2020 had an initial deadline of June 2022, which was pushed back another year because of complications arising from the Covid-19 pandemic, reports The Times of India.
Demand for diesel
Diesel accounts for 75% of fuel oils used in Bangladesh, and the country needs around 4.6 million tons of it per year – 80% of which is met through direct imports, according to a report published last year.
