HPCL initiative on sustainable environment

Oil and gas refiner Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) is on a mission to increase the environmental sustainability of its operations. Over the next few years, the public sector refiner is planning to reduce its water consumption by a third, marginally bring down its power consumption and increase environmental awareness among its employees. It has also begun processes towards implementing sustainability reporting.

HPCL has already implemented CII’s GreenCo Standards at two depots, VVR Narasimham, Executive Director, Corporate Health Safety and Environment, said. The company is working on expanding this to 144 other terminals by developing in-house policy documents.

From 2008-09 to 2014-15, HPCL reduced its fuel consumption by 1,92,300 tonnes, reducing its equivalent estimated CO2 emissions by about 5,76,900 tonnes. It has opened phyto-remediation (constructed wet-lands) plants to treat sewage water at two marketing locations. By expanding this, the company plans to reduce its fresh water intake and turn water consumption-neutral. It is also helping fuel pump dealers turn to solar power, by footing part of the erection costs involved in switching to solar energy.