The Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) has begun the initial work for setting up a ₹350 crore terminal at Asanur in Ulundurpet in Villupuram district where an intermediate pump station already exists. It is in the process of obtaining various clearances for the project.
Petroleum products including petrol and diesel are received from various locations via the Chennai-Tiruchi-Madurai pipeline (CTM) at the station in Asanur. To connect the existing station with the proposed terminal, it has been planned to provide a 12 inch diameter branch pipeline of 700 mt length, explained official sources in IOCL.
The facility – to come up on a 75-acre plot which has been acquired from the Tamil Nadu Small Industries Development Corporation Ltd (TNSIDC) – is located 150 km from Sankari and 220 km from Chennai.
At present, Ulundurpet and surrounding areas get their supply from terminals in Chennai, Tiruchi and Sankari. After the commissioning of the terminal, petroleum products would be distributed through trucks, and on average, 125-150 trucks are likely to be filled on a daily basis.
The greenfield terminal will handle and store finished petroleum products and will have loading facilities for petrol and diesel. No manufacturing activity will be undertaken at the terminal, which will only blend ethanol with petrol and biodiesel with diesel. It would help reduce movement of petroleum products by road and save on logistics cost, the source explained. The total storage capacity of tanks at the terminal would be 83,009 kilo litres (KL). The terminal is likely to be completed in 24 months.
