IndianOil gets nod to set up Coker plant at Haldia
Mumbai   28-Mar-2009
IndianOil has received clearance from the ministry of environment and forest for setting up its proposed Rs 3,000-crore delayed Coker plant at Haldia in West Bengal. Confirming the development, a top IndianOil official said: "About 82 acres has already been acquired from Hindustan Fertiliser Corporation (HKX). However, the entire 82 acres will not be required and plans include setting up of a petrochemical plant. The IndianOil board will be working on the exact quantum of investment for the plant. Investment for which is likely to be upwards of Rs 3,000 crore." The capacity being planned for the delayed coker units is about 1,20,000 barrels per day (bpd) at Haldia. The land identified was owned by Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) and was in possession of HPCL's closed facility. The delayed coker plant will nelp IndianOil enhance its refining capacity at Haldia and help in the production of more value added products, enhance the distillate yield of the refinery and increase the complexity of the refinery so as to refine higher quantities of cheaper heavy high sulphur crude. Currently, IndianOil has undertaken a project for the improvement of diesel quality and capacity expansion at Haldia refinery at an investment of Rs 2,869 crore. The project is likely to be completed by December 2009. It will result in the improvement of high speed diesel quality conforming to Euro-n/Euro-IV equivalent norms. In addition, it will improve the distillate yield and crude processing capacity of the refinery. The project comprises installation of facilities for improvement in diesel quality and distillate yield (hydrocracker) at Haldia and capacity expansion of the refinery from 6mmtpato7 5mmtpa. Haldia Refinery is one of the seven operating refineries of IndianOil. From an original crude oil processing capacity of 2.5 mmtpa, the refinery is operating at a capacity of about 6 mmtpa. Capacity of the refinery was increased to 2.75 mmtpa through debottlenecking in 1989-90. Refining cdf6rity was farther increased to 3.75 mmtpa in 1997 with the installation/commissioning of second crude distillation unit of 10 mmtpa capacity.