India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline

• Prime Ministers of India and Bangladesh recently inaugurated the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline (IBFPL).
• It is the first cross-border energy pipeline between the two countries.

About IBFPL

• The entire pipeline is 131.5 km long.
• The pipeline runs from the Siliguri-based marketing terminal of the Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) to the Parbatipur depot of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC).
• Cost:
• The pipeline has been built at an estimated cost of Rs.377 crore. Bangladesh’s section of the pipeline cost Rs.285 crore.
• The construction of the project started in 2018 with the help of India’s grant funding.
• It will be used to supply diesel from India to Bangladesh.
• The pipeline will transport 1 million metric ton of high-speed diesel every year to seven districts of North Bangladesh.
• The fuel transport deal will be effective for 15 years with an option for further extension.

Significance–

• The operation of India- Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline will put in place a sustainable, reliable, cost-effective and environment friendly mode of transporting HSD (High-speed diesel) from India to Bangladesh and will further enhance cooperation in energy security between the two countries.