Numaligarh Refinery (NR) and the Inland Waterways Authority of India (Iwai) have formalised a significant agreement aimed at utilising waterways for the export of petroleum products to Bangladesh and other Southeast Asian countries. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed, marking a pivotal step in enhancing transportation infrastructure and bolstering trade in the North-East.
Under the terms of the MoU, NR will export approximately 10,000 metric tons of petroleum and petrochemical products each month via IWAI Jogighopa Multi Modal terminal. Furthermore, NR will establish a POL (petroleum, oil and lubricants) Oil Terminal at Jogighopa Logistics Park.
The objective of this MoU is to realise the ‘Hydrocarbon Vision 2030 for North-East’ by harnessing the potential of inland waterways, particularly National Waterway-2 (Brahmaputra) and the Indo Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBPR).
The North-East region, with 20 national waterways and projects worth more than INR 800 crore underway, has witnessed significant development. Permanent terminals have been established at Pandu and Dhubri, facilitating cargo movement to Bangladesh. Over the last two years, 385 cargo vessels have sailed from Dhubri to Bangladesh.
NR is currently engaged in the execution of the Numaligarh Refinery Expansion Project (NREP), a refinery expansion and modernisation initiative with a capital expenditure of INR 28,026 crore. This project is poised to make a substantial contribution to the region’s growth.
