A.P. Pollution Control Board has issued notification for holding environmental public hearing on expansion of HPCL-Visakh Refinery on June 26.
Though the modernisation and expansion of the refinery was long-pending, the process was hastened after the Ministry of Environment and Forests lifted the moratorium it had clamped on Greenfield and Brownfield projects in the city after attaching ‘critically polluted’ tag to Visakhapatnam.
The modernisation and upgrading of facilities, according to revised estimates, will involve an investment of Rs.18,412 crore. The plan is to expand the existing capacity from 8.33 million tonne to 15 million tonne per annum. When HPCL Director (refineries) B.K. Namdeo signed MoU with the State government here on April 29 at the time of release of industries policy by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, it was stated that the project would usher in all-round development in Visakhapatnam.
MoEF approved terms of reference for the project vide letter F. No. J-110/63/2013 dated September 18, 2014 for expansion with associated facilities for residue upgrading and product quality improvement incorporating advanced refining technologies for modernisation.
A sub-committee of Expert Advisory Committee went through Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) and coal-based power plant feasibility studies presented by HPCL officials.
The detailed feasibility report mentioned about plot plan realignment of process units and facilities to further reduce risk post-expansion.
Plans big
HPCL also has plans to set up a 15-million tonne Greenfield refinery-cum-petrochemical complex between Visakhapatnam and Kakinada as part of PCPIR.
The land allotted to it at Atchutapuram was cancelled by APIIC for not starting work within the period stipulated. Later, HPCL officials approached APIIC with a request to allot a larger parcel of land either near Nakkapalli or Kakinada.
The public sector company is scouting for partners to go ahead with the project.
The modernisation and upgrading of facilities, according to revised estimates, will involve an investment of Rs.18,412 crore
