
A senior company executive was quoted by Reuters as saying that the plan follows the Indian government’s decision to introduce with Euro VI emission standards for vehicles by April 2020, to reduce pollution.
Commissioned in 2015, the 300,000 barrels per day refinery was designed to produce Euro IV and Euro V-compliant fuels.
Paradip refinery technical operations executive director G. S. Singh told reporters that the company is required to install new units including isomerisation, diesel hydrotreater and hydrogen units at the refinery in order to comply with the latest fuel emission standards.
The company would commission a reformer, and vacuum gas oil hydrotreater this month, followed by an alkylation unit next month, Singh added.
Singh said that the refinery is expected to operate at full capacity from the fiscal year 2017/18 and is expected to contribute 20% to 30% of net profit to the company.
Designed to meet fuel demand in eastern and southern India, the refinery was initially planned to be commissioned in 2012, but was delayed several times.
In addition to supplying to the markets in east India, the refinery’s output is expected to make India compete with supplies from new and expanded plants in the Middle East and China.
Image: India plans to implement the Euro VI emission standards by April 2020. Photo: courtesy of meepoohfoto/ reeDigitalPhotos.net.