Indian Oil’s refineries to operate at 80% capacity
#GS3 #Economy
Demand for petroleum products up
- With demand for petroleum products gradually picking up, India’s largest petroleum retailer Indian Oil Corporation (IndianOil) has re-started several process units at its refineries that were down due to the lockdown.
- With throughputs gradually picking up pace, the refineries are currently operating at about 60% of their design capacities with plans to scale up to 80% of the design levels by the end of the month.
- IndianOil has resumed manufacture of petrochemical intermediates like HDPE (high-density polyethylene) and polypropylene at its Panipat complex.
Naptha cracker unit
- With the demand for these grades likely to increase even further in the coming days, the naphtha cracker as well as the MEG (Mono-ethylene-glycol) plants at Panipat are back in operation.
- The polypropylene plant at Paradip too will resume operations in a couple of days.
- The other polymer units are being readied to go online this month.
- The revival of the Panipat naphtha cracker unit will also facilitate further increase in refinery crude oil throughputs, according to the company.