Himal Press 
POKHARA: Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has built an aviation fuel storage depot within the premises of the Pokhara International Airport.
This is the first time NOC has built a depot entirely using domestic resources and expertise.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Sudip Kumar Yadav, the chief engineer of the project, said the Rs 790 million facility will be inaugurated in early August. “This is the first infrastructure project in NOC’s 55-year history built entirely by Nepali technical manpower and investment,” he added.
Depot Manager Ashok Aryal said three large storage tanks with a combined capacity of 1,200 kiloliters have been built, considering the potential increase in domestic and international air traffic at Pokhara International Airport. “Each tank is 12 meters tall and has a diameter of 12 meters,” he added.
Daily consumption by domestic flights in Pokhara stands at around 30-35 kiloliters at present. The demand is expected to rise to about 100 kiloliters per day if two new international flights are added.
The new storage facility can meet demand for a month, according to NOC officials. So far, NOC has been supplying aviation turbine fuel to the airport from its depot at Mustang Chowk, which has a capacity of 64 kiloliters.
Project Consultant Narayan Gautam said the depot is spread over 10,000 square meters of land plot leased from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN). Pulchowk Engineering Campus prepared the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and provided technical consultation for the project.
The foundation stone for the depot was laid in July 2023 by then Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Ramesh Rijal.
The depot also includes a 4,000-liter foam storage tank as part of its fire-safety infrastructure. This system integrates foam with water spray to control potential fires by following international best practices. Likewise, it is equipped with two 230-horsepower fire-fighting diesel pumps, one 15-horsepower jockey pump, and an 8-inch pipeline network.
