Barmer (Rajasthan) [India], July 3 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Rajasthan’s first refinery-cum-petrochemical complex at Pachpadra in Barmer district on July 4 (Saturday), marking a significant milestone for the state’s energy infrastructure and industrial development.
The project, whose construction began in 2018, has been completed and is ready for commercial production. It is India’s first greenfield refinery integrated with a petrochemical complex and the country’s 24th refinery.
Spread over nearly 4,400 acres across a 32-kilometre campus, the refinery has an annual crude processing capacity of 9 million metric tonnes (MMTPA).
The integrated complex comprises 13 processing units, including nine refinery units and four petrochemical units. According to officials, the refinery has been designed to maximise the value extracted from crude oil.
To strengthen safety measures, the refinery has three dedicated fire stations within the campus.
As per the release, the refinery has been designed to process 27 API crude and can refine different grades of crude oil, including Arab Mix, by blending them according to operational requirements.
Of the refinery’s annual crude requirement of 9 million metric tonnes, around 1.5 million tonnes will be sourced from Rajasthan’s Mangla Terminal, while the remaining 7.5 million tonnes will be imported through Mundra Port in Gujarat. The crude oil will be transported from Mundra to the refinery through a dedicated pipeline network.
Petrol and diesel produced at the refinery will be transported through HPCL’s pipeline network to Palanpur in Gujarat, from where they will be distributed across the country.
As per the release, the refinery is expected to meet around 9 to 10 per cent of India’s fuel demand. The petrochemical complex has an annual production capacity of 2.4 lakh tonnes.
The project is also expected to provide a major boost to employment and industrial development in Rajasthan. Nearly one lakh people received direct and indirect employment opportunities during the construction phase, officials said.
It added that the commissioning of the refinery is expected to strengthen Rajasthan’s role in India’s energy sector, accelerate industrial growth and establish western India as an important hub for fuel production and distribution.
The Prime Minister will also inaugurate the Terminal Building of Jodhpur Airport and launch the Modified UDAN scheme in Jodhpur. Subsequently, at around 12:15 pm, he will travel to Balotra to dedicate, inaugurate, and lay the foundation stone for development projects worth approximately Rs 1.06 lakh crore. He will also address a public gathering on the occasion. (ANI)
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