• Colombo Port-Kolonnawa link to modernise fuel logistics

Sri Lanka has launched an international tender for a Rs. 12.78 billion pipeline project linking the Colombo Port to Kolonnawa, in a bid to modernise the country’s fuel transport infrastructure and strengthen energy supply chains amid ongoing global market volatility.

The move comes as the island faces another round of energy insecurity, with consecutive governments failing to upgrade ageing infrastructure and build capacity due to poor policymaking, lack of capital, and political will to privatise due to trade union pressure.

The Ministry of Energy, through the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), has issued an international competitive bidding notice for the Kolonnawa to Colombo Port pipeline project, aimed at improving the efficiency and reliability of transporting refined petroleum products, including aviation fuel.

Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku told The Sunday Morning that improving aviation fuel transportation remained a key priority.

“The ministry and the CPC are preparing to build the pipeline from either Sapugaskanda or Kolonnawa, directly to Katunayake. This infrastructure is specifically being built to transport jet fuel. We do not have the specific technical details of the project with us right now because the entire project is being handled directly by the CPC. It is an entirely new project. This initiative started only after this Government took over. The funding for this is located within the CPC budget and it has been formally included in its financial allocations,” he said.

According to official procurement documents, the project will be executed on an engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning basis, requiring the selected contractor to design and install multiple pipeline systems, connecting key fuel handling points.

The core scope includes the installation of an 18-inch diameter pipeline and a 14-inch diameter pipeline running from the Dolphin Tanker Berth at the Colombo Harbour to the Kolonnawa Installation, incorporating subsea components that add technical complexity to the project.

In addition, a 12-inch diameter pipeline will be constructed to link the Dolphin Tanker Berth to the existing pipe rack within the Colombo Harbour. The contractor will also be responsible for carrying out modifications and installing additional infrastructure at both the harbour and Kolonnawa facilities to support the efficient loading and unloading of refined petroleum products.

The Government has set a construction timeline of 540 calendar days for the completion of the project, underscoring its urgency within the broader national energy strategy.