The Assam-based Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) and the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the transportation of Numaligarh Refinery’s over-dimensional cargo and venture cargo.
The MoU will pave how for making rivers navigable
The MoU, according to officials, will open the way for IWAI to make rivers accessible all year and assist in delivering huge cargoes and capital equipment together with the single-piece prefabricated course of crops for refinery expansion duties. It will also open up trade and commerce as outward freight motion in large consignments, which will be accessible from the river Dhansiri, which is adjacent to the refinery, at some point.
A part of the Hydrocarbon Vision 2030
Numaligarh Refinery Limited has embarked on a major refinery expansion project to triple its current refining capacity from three MMTPA to nine MMTPA as part of the Government of India’s Hydrocarbon Vision 2030. Over 1,000 tools will be moved from throughout the country and abroad as part of the project.
Several of the tools will be classified as Over Dimensional Consignment (ODC) and Overweight Consignment (OWC). To ensure a safe supply of tools, NRL plans to develop multimodal mobility via streets and rivers.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was inked between Assam-based Numaligarh Refinery Limited(NRL) and Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) for transportation of over-dimensional cargo and venture cargo of Numaligarh Refinery.
According to authorities, the MoU will pave how for making rivers navigable all year long by IWAI and help in bringing giant cargoes and capital tools together with the single-piece prefabricated course of crops for refinery enlargement tasks.
Also, it’ll open up commerce and commerce as outward freight motion in a giant consignment which will likely be attainable from river Dhansiri, adjoining the refinery sooner or later.
As a part of the Hydrocarbon Vision 2030 of the Government of India, Numaligarh Refinery Limited has launched into a significant refinery enlargement venture to treble its present refining capability from three MMTPA to 9 MMTPA. As a part of the venture, over 1,000 tools shall be transported from throughout the nation and overseas.
Several of the tools shall fall beneath the class of Over Dimensional Consignment (ODC) and Overweight Consignment (OWC). NRL intends to implement multimodal transportation by way of streets and waterways to safe supply of the tools.
NRL added, “Due to various limitations in road transportation, the sea, and riverine routes shall be leveraged to connect the major ports in the western region of the nation to the Northeast region up to NRL. As part of the transportation process, NRL shall be using Self Derrick Vessels for transportation at Sea up to Haldia port. Barges shall be used for transportation along the riverine route along Indo Bangladesh Protocol Route and Assam.13 ODCs have been identified for transportation exclusively through the sea and waterways. The maximum dimension of the ODC equipment shall be 97 M in length, 10.3 M in diameter, and 960 MT in weight”.
Further they added, “As the maximum length of the barge is restricted to 60 m, equipment with a length larger than 60 m shall be transported in two pieces. Dredging operations shall be carried out extensively along the riverine route to facilitate the transportation process. RORO facilities shall be augmented at the NRL Jetty as per requirement. The infrastructural development envisaged along the waterways can be used in the future for shipping of dry cargo from the refinery and agricultural produce from the region, thereby enhancing connectivity of the Northeast with the rest of the country and also extending our footprint to global export destinations”.
Attendees of the ceremony
The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal and Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Rameshwar Teli, who both attended the ceremony in Kunjakanan-NRL Township.
