The Ministry of Environment and Forests has granted environmental clearance to the integrated refinery expansion project of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd to be implemented at Kochi Refinery.
The Rs 14,225-crore project envisages increasing the refining capacity of Kochi Refinery by 6 MMTPA from the present 9.5 MMTPA to 15.5 MMTPA.
It also involves modernisation of the refinery to produce auto-fuels complying with Euro-IV/Euro-V specifications and upgradation of low value refinery residue stream to value-added products. The project will also lead to production of propylene, which is a major petrochemical feedstock that can trigger further investments.
The project, which is scheduled to be completed by December 2015, is an effort to meet country’s growing energy needs and make auto-fuels more environment- friendly.
With the demand of petroleum products increasing day by day the refining capacity of the nation has to be enhanced periodically, a statement issued here said.
The Kerala Government had signed a MoU with BPCL during the Emerging Kerala Investors Meet for the implementation.
BPCL, Kochi Refinery, has a refining capacity of 9.5 MMTPA, producing Euro-III/IV compliant auto-fuels and various other petroleum products. From the initial capacity of 2.5 MMTPA, the Kochi Refinery had progressively grown to its present level of 9.5 MMTPA.