ABB India modernized BPCL鈥檚 Vadinar鈥揃ina Pipeline with advanced automation and cybersecurity, ensuring uninterrupted operations and strengthening India鈥檚 energy security.
ABB India Ltd has successfully completed a strategically important modernization initiative for Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), reinforcing the reliability and resilience of one of India鈥檚 most critical energy transportation assets. The project focused on upgrading the automation, monitoring, and cybersecurity framework of BPCL鈥檚 Vadinar鈥揃ina Pipeline (VBPL), a 937-kilometer cross-country crude oil pipeline that plays a vital role in ensuring uninterrupted fuel supply across the country.
At a time when India鈥檚 energy consumption continues to rise steadily, the Vadinar鈥揃ina Pipeline has become increasingly significant to national energy security. The pipeline transports crude oil from the Vadinar terminal in Gujarat to the Bina refinery in Madhya Pradesh, delivering approximately 7.80 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA). Any operational disruption could have far-reaching implications for refinery throughput and downstream fuel availability. Recognizing this strategic importance, BPCL partnered with ABB India to modernize the pipeline鈥檚 automation infrastructure without interrupting live operations.
The scope of the modernization program was comprehensive and technologically advanced. ABB implemented a full upgrade of the pipeline鈥檚 supervisory control and data acquisition system using ABB Ability SCADAvantage, enabling enhanced real-time monitoring, improved data visibility, and faster decision-making. As part of the upgrade, 35 Remote Terminal Units (RTUs) were replaced across multiple pipeline assets, including pumping stations, pigging stations, and sectionalizing valve stations. These upgrades significantly improved operational accuracy and system responsiveness across the entire pipeline length.
In addition to field-level enhancements, new SCADA servers were installed at both the Vadinar and Bina control centers, ensuring high availability and redundancy. ABB also strengthened the pipeline鈥檚 cybersecurity posture by deploying advanced network protection measures, system hardening protocols, and centralized monitoring capabilities. These measures were designed to safeguard critical infrastructure against evolving cyber threats while maintaining compliance with modern industrial security standards.
A key highlight of the project was its flawless execution without any pipeline shutdowns or disruptions to crude oil flow. This achievement required meticulous planning, close coordination, and deep domain expertise. Commenting on the successful collaboration, Rajshekhar S, Head (Pipelines) for the Vadinar鈥揃ina Pipeline at BPCL, noted that the modernization was completed seamlessly and delivered immediate operational benefits. He emphasized that enhanced cybersecurity, improved system resilience, and the introduction of failover and disaster recovery servers at both ends of the pipeline have significantly strengthened BPCL鈥檚 ability to sustain uninterrupted operations, even under challenging conditions.
From ABB鈥檚 perspective, the project reinforces its commitment to supporting India鈥檚 energy infrastructure with future-ready solutions. G. Balaji, Senior Vice President at ABB India鈥檚 Energy Industries division, highlighted that the VBPL is a nationally important asset and that ABB ensured continuous pipeline operation throughout the modernization process. According to him, the project demonstrates ABB鈥檚 capability to deliver complex upgrades on live energy systems while maintaining the highest standards of reliability and safety.
ABB and BPCL share a long-standing partnership, with ABB having provided automation and digital solutions across nearly 66 percent of BPCL鈥檚 pipeline network. This latest project further strengthens that collaboration, setting a benchmark for resilient, secure, and disruption-free modernization of critical energy infrastructure in India.
