NRL signs MoU with IWAI for transportation of petroleum product cargo using IWAI Jogighopa Jetty

New Delhi: Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) on Thursday signed an MoU with Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) for transportation of petroleum products of NRL to Bangladesh and beyond through IWAI’s upgraded jetty in Jogighopa in lower Assam. The MoU was signed by NRL's Chief General Manager (Marketing) Subrata Das and IWAI's Director A Selva Kumar.

The MoU signing event was graced by Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal; Union Minister of State for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Labour & Employment Rameshwar Teli; Minister of Transport, Excise & Fisheries, Government of Assam, Parimal Suklabaidya and Minister of Industries & Commerce and Public Enterprises, and Cultural Affairs, Government of Assam, Bimal Borah. NRL Chairman and OIL CMD Dr Ranjit Rath, NRL's Managing Director Bhaskar Jyoti Phukan, IWAI's Chairman Sanjay Bandopadhyaya and senior officials of NRL and IWAI were also present on the occasion.

NRL is currently implementing a project for expansion of its refinery from 3.0 to 9.0 MMTPA at an approved cost of more than Rs 28,000 crore which is scheduled for completion by early 2025. NRL has also initiated the process of implementing a project for setting up a petrochemical plant at a cost of Rs 7,231 crore.

NRL envisages to export 200 TMT of products per annum to Bangladesh through IWAI’s jetty in Jogighopa comprising diesel, petrol, solvent and polypropylene after the commissioning of the expanded refinery and petrochemicals plant.

Collaboration between NRL and IWAI is expected to provide a boost to the Gati Shakti initiative and Act East Policy of the Government of India.

Earlier, NRL and IWAI had signed an MOU on August 26, 2021 for transporting ODC and OWC through maritime route utilizing the National Waterways. The first such consignment was received at a jetty near Numaligarh by the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways in mid-June this year.

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