The Union Cabinet has approved India’s fifth petroleum, chemicals and petrochemical investment region (PCPIR) in Tamil Nadu. The Rs 92,160-crore PCPIR, in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts, would be earmarked for petroleum, chemicals and petrochemical production facilities. “The PCPIR envisages developing infrastructure, including roads, rail, air links, ports, water supply, power and desalination plants at a total cost of Rs 13,354 crore,” according to an official statement. It would cover an area of 256 sq km, with a processing facility.
According to the government’s PCPIR policy, infrastructure is developed through public private partnerships to the extent possible, with the Centre providing the required viability gap funding (VGF). The Tamil Nadu government has sought Rs 1,143 crore from the Centre as VGF and Rs 1,500 crore as budgetary support for the project. The government has identified Nagarjuna Oil Corporation and state-owned Chennai Petroleum Corporation as the lead anchor tenants in the proposed PCPIR.
Nagarjuna Oil Corporation, a joint venture between Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation and Nagarjuna Fertilisers and Chemicals, is setting up a 6 million tonne per annum (mtpa) refinery at Cuddalore, with an investment of Rs 9,660 crore. It has already started work for the refinery, the deadline for which is September 2013.
Chennai Petroleum Corporation plans to set up a 15 mtpa refinery and a petrochemical complex in the region, with an outlay of Rs 40,000 crore.