Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL), a subsidiary of ONGC, has received authorisation from the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board for laying, operating or expanding a petroleum and petroleum product pipeline dedicated to aviation turbine fuel (ATF) from Devangonthi to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), Bengaluru.

The authorisation covers the development of an ATF pipeline from MRPL’s Devangonthi Marketing Terminal to the Existing Common User Fuel Farm Station and the Upcoming Satellite Fuel Farm Station located inside Kempegowda International Airport. The authorised pipeline system will have a capacity of 2.5 MMTPA (million metric tons per annum) and is to be executed within 36 months, a MRPL release said on Thursday.

The authorisation marks a significant step in MRPL’s journey towards strengthening its downstream marketing infrastructure and aviation fuel supply chain in Karnataka. The project will create a direct, reliable and efficient ATF transportation link between MRPL’s Devangonthi infrastructure and one of India’s fastest-growing aviation gateways, KIA, it said.

The project assumes strategic importance in the backdrop of Bengaluru’s expanding aviation footprint. KIA has witnessed sustained passenger and cargo growth, reinforcing Bengaluru’s position as a major aviation, technology and logistics hub.

MRPL’s Devangonthi Marketing Terminal has already emerged as a key infrastructure asset in the Bengaluru region. The Marketing Terminal at Dodda Dasarahally, Bengaluru, was commissioned for dispatch of Motor Spirit, High Speed Diesel and Aviation Turbine Fuel. The terminal receives finished petroleum products through the existing PMHBL pipeline from MRPL, Mangaluru, and was set up to cater to the requirements of petroleum products for expanding industrial and retail business.

B.H.V. Prasad, Executive Director (Projects), MRPL, said, “The proposed ATF pipeline will be a game-changer for MRPL, as it will support growing ATF requirement of Bengaluru airport while providing MRPL with a strategic launchpad to expand its hydrocarbon footprint in one of the nation’s most significant growth hubs.”