Sri Lanka, India to construct oil pipeline for fuel transportation in Trincomalee Port

Sri Lanka and India are to planning to construct an underground oil pipeline from the Trincomalee Port to the tank farm to speed up the petroleum product supply to the island nation, official sources confirmed.  

Discussions are underway between the two countries to expedite the oil pipe line project as one of the measures to prevent the reoccurrence of fuel shortage.

President Ranil Wickremasinghe has said this during a recent meeting with energy investors, adding that Trincomalee had been identified as a potential location for green hydrogen production due to the abundance of renewable energy in northern Sri Lanka.

The President has directed the petroleum minister and officials to swiftly carry out a plan to revive the Trincomalee oil tank farm with 99 fuel tanks to harness maximum benefits for the crisis ridden economy.  

The Trincomalee Development Programme is to be expedited by renovating the 61 tanks of the Upper Tank Farm (UTF) which has not been used over several decades.

A portion of the facility is under the control of Lanka India Oil Corporation and the balance under joint control of the Indian Oil Corporation and Ceylon Petroleum Corporation.

Manoj Gupta, Managing Director of Lanka India Oil Corporation, revealed that discussions and studies were ongoing for a finished petroleum product pipeline.

The construction of an oil pipeline to the Trincomalee port is expected to boost Sri Lanka's energy security and further improve economic cooperation between the two countries

India officials have also affirmed their commitment to helping the country boost its energy security, with New Delhi officials announcing that India will maintain its support for Sri Lanka in developing oil infrastructure.

Sri Lanka and India have agreed to strengthen partnership in the energy sector while exploring the possibility of renewable energy sources including green hydrogen, ammonia, and compressed biogas to bolster their energy security. (Bandula)