IOC unveils Rs 3,000 cr hydrocraker unit in Bengal
New Delhi   27-Dec-2010

IndianOil (IOC) on Saturday unveiled a Rs 3,000 crore hydrocracker unit in Haldia in the eastern state of West Bengal. The Maharatna company also upgraded its refinery in Haldia by adding additional capacity of 1.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa).

The once-through hydrocracker unit (OHCU) will produce high grade BS-III and IV diesel. The OHCU includes a hydrocracker unit of 1.7 mtpa, a hydrogen generation unit of 75 mtpa, a sulphur recover unit and a revamped 4 mtpa crude distillation unit (CDU). IOC has spent Rs 2,869 crore for the project.

Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee said, "The country garnered $30 billion from exporting petroleum products in a year. Our refinery capacity was only 0.25 mtpa at the time of independence, today it stands at over 184 million tonnes (mt)."

Petroleum minister Murli Deora urged Mukherjee to extend government's support to the oil sector by continuing petroleum subsidies. Deora said an empowered group of ministers (eGoM) will meet at the end of this month to decide on petroleum products price.