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New terminal at MRIA for aviation fuel storage
View(s):A new Aviation Terminal is to be declared open today at Mahinda Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) in Hambantota, by President Rajapaksa.
The terminal, built at a cost of Rs 5 billion by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), will provide 3 million litres of Jet-A1 fuel storage and other related facilities, and will be managed by the CPC.
“The refuelling liability insurance premiums could be drastically reduced when we have a fuel hydrant refuelling facility in an airport.
“The oil tanks have been built to international standards. The Fuel Hydrant System was a necessity to MRIA. We believe that other planes will touchdown at the airport to refuel and hence, we will be able to increase fuel sales,” CPC Managing Director Susantha de Silva said.
He added that, this would boost tourism in the country, as an automated Fuel Hydrant System and an Aviation Refuelling facility meeting relevant standards and the mandatory requirements of the “Joint Inspection Group” (JIG) and the International Airlines, have more or less become necessary in all the newly built International Airports worldwide.
The initial design of the fuel farm was only adequate for a small airport, not for an international airport which requires large storage to maintain an adequate buffer stock for any eventuality.
Mr Silva said that the required Jet-A1 fuel will be initially supplied by 33,000 liter-capacity Road Tankers from the CPSTL Kolonnawa installation, until the Sri Lanka Ports Authority aviation storage tank farm at the Hambantota Port facility is ready for operations.
A pipeline corridor of 32 km to be constructed from Hambantota Port to MRIA, has been allocated by the Road Development Authority for Jet-A1 transfer in the future, based on its increasing demand at MRIA.