Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Limited (CPSTL) have begun construction of a jet A-1 fuel pipeline and related storage infrastructure in Sri Lanka.
The 21km pipeline will stretch from the Muthurajawala complex to Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake. At Muthurajawala, CPC will build five A-1 jet fuel storage tanks: two with 30,000m3 capacity; two with 15,000m3 capacity; and one of 2,000m3 capacity, totalling 92,000m3. CPSTL, during an 18-month contractual period, will build a further three tanks, two with 15,000m3 of capacity and one of 10,000m3. These eight new fuel storage tanks will offer 132,000 m3 of jet fuel storage capacity.
According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), Anura Kumara Dissanayake, president of Sri Lanka, says: ‘The Government wants to maintain a strong state presence in the energy market while ensuring that state institutions provide an efficient service to the public… Sri Lanka currently has fuel storage capacity sufficient for only around 23 to 25 days and that increasing this capacity is a major part of strengthening national energy security … pipeline and storage projects are being implemented to increase fuel reserves to cover at least 45 days, or around one and a half months, while also reducing the time required to unload fuel.’
