HPCL Clean Fuel Project gets nod

HPCL will be investing Rs 1,600 crore on this project. By 2005 April, all refineries in the country should meet the Euro-III norms in crude refining.

"The present configurations of production facilities of Visakhapatnam Refinery are not fit for meeting the product quality as per Euro-II and Euro-III specifications. In view of this, it has been necessary to install additional facilities to meet the required fuel quality as per Euro norms, so we have proposed this project" sources from HPCL told Business Standard. At present, Vizag Refinery has been supplying petrol with sulphur content levels of 0.095 to 0.1.

After completion of this project , the sulphur content levels will come down to 0.015 and 0.05, the sources revealed. In diesel the present sulphur content levels are between 0.05 and 0.25, which are targeted to range from 0.035 to 0.05 on completion of the project.

This project envisages in addition to clean fuels generation, the Visakhapatnam Refinery capacity will be increase to 10 million tonnes from existing 7.5 million tonnes.

"In consideration of the importance and necessity of this project, with out conducting public hearing pollution control board has cleared this project", sources from the pollution control board, said.