BPCL's AP refinery to serve dual ambitions

Refining capacity to reach 50 mn tonnes with the new greenfield project

- Rituraj Baruah

Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd (BPCL) will have a refining capacity of around 50 million tonnes (mt) after commissioning the proposed greenfield refinery-cum-petrochemical complex in Andhra Pradesh, said BPCL chairman and managing director G. Krishnakumar.

The proposed refinery is expected to have an annual refining capacity of nine million tonnes. The firm has major expansion plans in line with its vision to become a major player in India's petrochemical sector, as the government is looking at positioning India as a hub to meet the global petrochemical demand in years ahead.

Krishnakumar said India's third-largest refiner is working on the expansion of its existing refineries at Madhya Pradesh's Bina and Kerala's Kochi. India's current refining capacity is 250 mt per annum, of which BPCL accounts for 35 mt.