The open tender for the operation of the Single Point Mooring (SPM) with Double Pipeline, one of the country’s largest projects in the energy sector, will be called next month. The preparation of necessary documents for the tender is already in the final stages. Once the tendering process is complete and the process of collecting fuel oil from the sea through pipelines begins, Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) will save at least BDT 8 billion annually. Besides, the country’s energy security will also be enhanced.
According to BPC sources, the current demand for fuel oil in the country is about 7 million tons, of which 90 percent is imported. Large mother vessels carrying imported oil cannot dock at the Guptakhal jetty of the Chittagong port channel. The oil is unloaded via lighterage vessels while at outer anchorage. This process is costly and time-consuming.
To avoid this complexity, the government undertook the “Installation of Single Point Mooring (SPM) with Double Pipeline” project. Started in 2015, this project facilitates the transfer of fuel oil from mother vessels anchored in the deep sea to the Eastern Refinery through pipelines.
The commissioning of this project, built at a cost of BDT 82.98 billion, was completed in March last year. After that, trial runs were conducted by unloading diesel and crude oil from two ships. The project was handed over to BPC by ERL authorities in August last year.
BPC lacks skilled manpower to operate and maintain the SPM terminal. Although the construction company, China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Company Limited, expressed interest in operating the SPM for three years, their chances of securing the contract are uncertain as the decision has been made to appoint a contractor through an open tender.
Mohammad Sharif Hasnat, Managing Director of Eastern Refinery Limited and SPM Project Director, said, “After commissioning in March, the SPM project was handed over to BPC in August after completing ancillary work. Now, BPC will start the process of bringing in fuel oil through the pipeline after appointing an operation and maintenance contractor through an open tender.”
