IndianOil today commissioned its 36 km long Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) pipeline that runs from its bulk storage terminal at Devanagonthi to Bengaluru International Airport at Devanahalli where the aviation fuel hub is operated by IndianOil Skytanking Ltd., (IOSL), a joint venture of IndianOil, Indian Oiltanking and Skytanking Gmbh, Germany.
According to a release, the underground pipeline costing Rs 33 crore passes through several villages and taluks including Hoskote, Yelahanka and Devanahalli. The pipeline has a capacity to pump over 156,000 litres of ATF per hour which can be further scaled up to over 220,000 litres in the second phase. The new pipeline will replace over 30 tank trucks which presently make more than 80 trips up and down from IndianOil’s Devanagonthi Terminal, thus drastically reducing the movement of a large tank truck fleet with consequent reduction in traffic congestion.
The new pipeline will ensure the supply of uninterrupted and pollutant-free ATF to the Bangalore International Airport meeting international quality standards. Even during bad weather, transportation snags and other disruptions, transfer of product by pipeline will go on smoothly and without any interruption, G C Daga, chairman, IOSL and director (marketing), IndianOil said after inaugurating the pipeline.
The new pipeline crosses over 18 major roads, four water courses and five highways enroute and has been designed and executed conforming to global standards like ASME and OSD. The entire pipeline system is also protected with dual fusion bonded epoxy (DFBE) coating to protect it from external corrosion.
The flow of ATF is monitored using Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system with proviso for built-in failsafe processes and leak detection mechanism to ensure safety and security including shutting down the pipeline system automatically if leakage is detected or pre-defined tolerance limit is exceeded.
IOSL presently handles over 160 refuellings each day, meeting the ATF requirements of both international and domestic airline carriers that touch down at Bengaluru International Airport. IndianOil is presently India’s largest aviation fuel supplier with a market share of over 60 per cent, meeting the aviation fuel requirements from its vast network of 101 aviation fuel stations that are spread across the country.