"IOCL's Dedicated Jetty at Kamarajar Port Set to Become Operational by December"

The Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) is set to complete its ₹921 crore exclusive oil jetty at Kamarajar Port in Ennore by December 2024. This new facility will increase the port's cargo capacity by 3 million tonnes per annum, as announced by Sunil Paliwal, Chairman of Kamarajar Port Ltd (KPL).

Currently, all oil companies, including IOCL, HPCL, BPCL, Reliance, Shell, and Nayara, use a common oil jetty. With the completion of its own dedicated jetty, IOCL will move its operations from this shared facility. The new jetty, located adjacent to the northern breakwater, is expected to meet the growing demand for petroleum, oils and lubricants (POL), LPG products, and lube oil base stock in Tamil Nadu and neighboring states.

The National Green Tribunal has ordered IOCL to close its existing depots at Korukkupet and Tondiarpet in north Chennai, prompting the construction of new POL pipelines in a common corridor to a new terminal in Vallur, about 20 km from the port. These pipelines will connect the IOCL jetty to the Vallur terminal and further to the Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd's Manali Refinery.

KPL and IOCL first signed a concession agreement in 2016 for a captive jetty, but the project was delayed due to issues with site location. A revised agreement was signed in 2019, increasing the project cost to ₹921 crore. ITD Cementation Ltd, Mumbai, was selected as the EPC contractor, with construction starting in July 2022.

The existing multi-purpose liquid terminal (MLT-1) at Kamarajar Port, partly used by IOCL, handles a throughput of 1.5 to 2.0 million tonnes per annum. The new captive oil jetty is designed to handle gas carriers and oil tankers for loading and unloading LPG and POL products, with a maximum throughput capacity of 3 to 3.5 million tonnes per annum and a design capacity of 5 million tonnes per annum.

IOCL plans to use the jetty for importing and exporting POL and LPG using POL tankers of 45,000 gross tonnage (GT) (50,000 to 80,000 deadweight tonnage, DWT) and very large gas carriers of 45,000 GT (60,000 DWT). The total design capacity of the jetty will be divided into POL (3.30 million tonnes per annum) and LPG (1.70 million tonnes per annum).

HBL