Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) is exploring the introduction of artificial intelligence-based automation across its fuel distribution network as a low-cost measure to curb pilferage and improve monitoring of imported petroleum products.
The initiative was discussed at a seminar organised by BPC, where energy expert Prof M Shamsul Alam presented a proposed automation system designed to monitor fuel movement in real time.
The seminar was chaired by BPC chairman Dr Md Rafiqul Islam and attended by BPC directors and the managing directors of Eastern Refinery Ltd (ERL), Padma Oil PLC, Meghna Petroleum PLC and Jamuna Oil PLC.
According to Prof Alam’s presentation, the proposed system would cost about Tk2 million per depot, excluding manpower costs.
The system would enable real-time monitoring of fuel flows, storage tanks and tanker loading data, as well as remote supervision of operations, Prof Alam and his team said.
They argued that greater automation was needed because much of the country’s fuel distribution system is currently handled through contractors, creating opportunities for pilferage and weak oversight.
Responding to the proposed cost, ERL managing director Sharif Hasnat and Padma Oil managing director Engr Md Mafizur Rahman welcomed the initiative, saying the estimated cost appeared relatively low compared with previous BPC-initiated projects.
The managing director of Jamuna Oil said a similar automation project in the public sector would require at least Tk2.5 million to Tk3 million.
Azizur Rahman, chairman of the Forum for Energy Reporters Bangladesh (FERB), called for the automation of fuel loading and unloading operations, including the use of artificial intelligence, to strengthen controls and prevent pilferage.
BPC chairman Rafiqul Islam said greater cooperation between universities and state-owned energy companies could help address longstanding outsourcing problems and develop locally tailored technological solutions for major power and energy projects.
He instructed the major state-owned oil companies to take the necessary steps to introduce AI-based automation systems at their depots for fuel loading and unloading.
The initiative comes as Bangladesh seeks to reduce losses and improve efficiency in managing costly imported petroleum products, while strengthening oversight across the country’s fuel distribution network.