Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) signed an MoU with Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) for transportation of petroleum products of NRL to Bangladesh and beyond through IWAI's upgraded jetty in Jogighopa in lower Assam. The MoU was signed by Subrata Das, Chief General Manager (Marketing), NRL and A. Selva Kumar, Director, IWAI.

The MoU signing event was graced by Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush; Rameshwar Teli, Union Minister of State for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Labour & Employment; Parimal Suklabaidya, Minister of Transport, Excise & Fisheries, Government of Assam; and Bimal Borah, Hon'ble Minister of Industries & Commerce and Public Enterprises, and Cultural Affairs, Government of Assam. Dr. Ranjit Rath, Chairman NRL and CMD OIL, Bhaskar Jyoti Phukan, Managing Director, NRL, Sanjay Bandopadhyaya, Chairman IWAI and senior officials of NRL & IWAI were also present on the occasion.

NRL is currently implementing a project for expansion of its refinery from 3.0 to 9.0 MMTPA at an approved cost of more than Rs. 28,000 crore which is scheduled for completion by early 2025. NRL has also initiated the process of implementing a project for setting up a petrochemical plant at a cost of Rs. 7,231 crore.

NRL envisages to export 200 TMT of products per annum to Bangladesh through IWAI's jetty in Jogighopa comprising diesel, petrol, solvent and polypropylene after commissioning of the expanded refinery and petrochemicals plant.

Collaboration between NRL and IWAI is expected to provide a boost to the Gati Shakti initiative and Act East Policy of the Government of India.

Earlier, NRL and IWAI had signed an MOU on 26th August 2021 for transporting ODC and OWC through maritime route utilizing the National Waterways. The first of such consignment was received at a jetty near Numaligarh by the Hon'ble Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways in mid-June this year.