New Delhi: Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited's (HPCL) 572-Km-long Visakh-Vijayawada-Secunderabad pipeline (VVSPL) with an installed capacity of 5.38 MMTPA has recently been expanded to 8 MMTPA. Three intermediate booster pump stations at Malle Bhupala Patnam near Narsipatnam (Visakha district, AP), Jeelakarragudem near Eluru (West Godavari District, AP) and Bogaram (Yadagiri district, Telangana) have been constructed.

The expansion project was completed within time at an approved cost of Rs 407 crores. This low-cost expansion has been done to assist in the evacuation of the ongoing Visakh Refinery Expansion project (from 8.3 MMTPA to 15 MMTPA additional production), an official release by HPCL said.

During a visit to HPCL's Visakh Refinery earlier in November, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan had dedicated the project to the nation. The remote starting of these three station pumps from Visakh Master Control station and simulation display of advanced Pipeline Intrusion Detection System (PIDS) installed in HPCL pipelines are the notable features reviewed by the minister. This new PIDS technology will provide pipeline security with 24×7 automated surveillance system, and thus will enhance the safety and integrity of pipeline operations.

The news comes as HPCL announced that it is setting up an LPG bottling plant of 120 TMT (Thousand Metric Ton) per annum on 26-acre land at Barhi in Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand. The foundation stone was laid by Chief Minister of Jharkhand Raghuvar Das, Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda and Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan, in the presence of other dignitaries through video conference from Jamshedpur on November 1.