|
Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) is importing high-speed diesel (HSD) from India and Kuwait with an alarming percentage of sulphur turning down the offers of low brimstone and environmentally-friendly ones.
BPC sources said they are importing 60,000 tonnes of diesel from Indian Oil Company Limited (IOCL) and 30,000 tonnes from Kuwait Petroleum Corporation Limited (KPCL), state-owned entity of Kuwait during March to meet the galloping local demand.
The demand for diesel further increased recently due to irrigation in the on-going IRRI-Boro plantation season mainly in the northern regions of the country.
Sources said the BPC is importing the diesel having high sulphur contents with increased premium as per the contracts between the governments concerned.
Experts said that the high percentage of brimstone in the diesel would react with atmospheric water and oxygen to produce sulphuric acid. After burning, it becomes sulphur-dioxide and increased presence of it in the air affects the soil, agriculture and water bodies and spread skin diseases.
It also burns faster than those having low percentage of sulphur, resulting in increased consumptions.
Sources said that the BPC is importing 30,000 tonnes of diesel instantly from the KPC with 50 per cent brimstone, which is considered 'highly risky' for both environment and human health.
Generally, the KPC is authorised to export refined diesel to Bangladesh with 20 per cent sulphur contents.
Though the IOCL diesel with 25 per cent sulphur content is within acceptable limits, also burns hurriedly and endangers environment.
Sources said price of fuel in the world market depends on the percentage of sulphur in the diesel. "If the existence of sulphur in the diesel is low, then the price of per barrel of diesel will rise and vice versa", said one official at the BPC requesting not to be named.
But the BPC, of late, cold-shouldered a proposal of exporting diesel with 15 per cent sulphur content offered by the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL).
Although the premium offered by the BPCL for its HSD was slightly higher than that of the two others, the landing cost (including premium, transport costs up to destination and other charges) was much lower.
"The proposal of the BPCL was much more attractive, as we could save US$ 0.68 per barrel and its supply chain was uninterrupted throughout the year. The Indian state entity also proposed to ferry the same from Assam through barges, some 1000-km away from Bangladesh", one senior official of the BPC at Chittagong said.
BPC sources said that they had sent the proposal to the ministry for approval, but some high-ups opposed this for 'mysterious reasons'.
|