BPCL plans to invest Rs 1.7 trn to expand core business, new energy foray

State-owned Bharat Petroleum Corporation plans to invest Rs 1.7 trillion over the next five years to grow its core oil refining and fuel marketing business as well as in 'future big bets' of petrochemicals and green energy, its chairman G Krishnakumar has said.

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), currently, owns about 14 per cent of India's oil refining capacity and about a quarter of the fuel retailing network. It plans to grow these businesses while foraying into newer areas.

The firm is now implementing the first phase of a multi-decade aspirational journey in the form of 'Project Aspire' - its five-year strategic framework that is based on two fundamental pillars - 'Nurturing the Core' and 'Investing in Future Big Bets', he said in the company's latest annual report.

"Our mid-term strategy is on a continuum. While we remain committed to growing our core businesses, which include refining and marketing petroleum products and upstream, we are equally focused on our big bets comprising petrochemicals, gas, green energy, non-fuel retail, and digital.

"Project Aspire, with a planned capex outlay of around Rs 1.70 trillion over five years, will enable us to create long-term value for our stakeholders while preserving our planet for future generations," he said.

"A cornerstone of our long-term strategy, Project Aspire, with a Rs 1.70 trillion investment, marks the initial phase of our multi-decade odyssey to shape the energy of tomorrow. This, coupled with our robust balance sheet, fuels our ambition to lead the energy transition."

The company is targeting net zero carbon emissions from its operations by 2040.

"BPCL has drawn a net-zero roadmap, which encompasses renewable power, green hydrogen, compressed biogas, carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS), efficiency improvement and the offsets procurements. This would require a phased capital outlay of approximately Rs 1 trillion till 2040, and the company is geared for the same," he said.

The firm's bet on continuing investing in core businesses is based on the premise that India's booming economy will drive a 4-5 per cent annual increase in energy demand and petroleum product consumption. Also, the demand for major petrochemical products is expected to rise by 7-8 per cent annually.

"This presents a strategic opportunity to expand refining capacity alongside the development of integrated petrochemical complexes," he said.

BPCL is implementing new petrochemical projects at two of its three oil refineries. A Rs 49,000 crore ethylene cracker project is being implemented at the Bina refinery in Madhya Pradesh, alongside raising oil refining capacity from the current 7.8 million tonnes to 11 million tonnes annually by 2029. A polypropylene project is being set up at Kochi refinery in Kerala by 2027.

"To meet the anticipated demand beyond our planned expansions in Bina and Kochi, we are actively evaluating options for setting up additional integrated refining and petrochemical capacities within the next 5-7 years," Krishnakumar said without disclosing either the investments or the location of such a project.

Andhra Pradesh is being speculated as the likely site after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP and regional party TDP stormed to power in the state in recently concluded assembly elections. TDP has been demanding the implementation of a refinery-cum-petrochemical complex that was promised as part of the package when the state was split more than a decade back.

"Our investment in the petrochemical project is consistent with our aspiration of becoming a dominant player in India's petrochemical growth story," Krishnakumar said.

On energy transition, he said BPCL is targeting to build 2 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity by 2025 and 10 GW by 2035.

"We are investing nearly Rs 1,000 crore to establish two 50 MW captive wind power plants in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, which will support our refineries in Mumbai and Bina."

The firm is also investing around Rs 300 crore in 72 MWp of solar project in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.

"Concomitantly, we are executing green hydrogen projects aligned with the National Green Hydrogen Mission. These projects include a 5 MW electrolyser plant at Bina refinery and a green hydrogen refuelling station with an indigenously developed electrolyser at Kochi," he noted.

BPCL, he said, is committed to supporting the transition to electric mobility through a robust and accessible charging infrastructure.

The company has installed over 3,000 charging stations, including fast chargers for cars and two-wheelers. 900 fast chargers are installed across 120 highway corridors, which helps address the range, discovery and time anxiety of electric vehicle (EV) owners.

"Over the next five years, we aim to install 4-wheeler fast chargers at approximately 6,000 retail outlets across 400 highway corridors, prioritising high-traffic corridors like the Golden Quadrilateral and N-S/E-W highways," he said.

On biofuels, he said BPCL sells petrol with 20 per cent ethanol blend at 4,279 out of its over 22,000 petrol pumps.

It is also building compressed biogas plants using municipal solid waste to make gas that can be used as CNG in automobiles.

The firm is also exploring partnerships in the arena.

"These combined efforts, along with the upcoming commissioning of a bio-ethanol refinery, positions BPCL as a key player in India's transition to a greener fuel mix, creating a robust ecosystem for the adoption of cleaner fuels across the country," he added.

BPCL is establishing a corporate venture capital fund to invest directly in promising startups.

"In order to thrive in this complex and challenging business landscape, we will leverage our agility and focus on operational excellence to ensure continued success. Safety and reliability will remain our top priorities, guiding all our actions. We are committed to upholding the highest standards of corporate governance," he added.

He said the energy sector of India stands at an inflection point.

"The nation has an ambitious vision of becoming a $ 30 trillion developed economy by 2047. 'Viksit Bharat @2047' will necessitate an almost fourfold increase in primary energy demand."

India's exponential growth trajectory will propel it to a pivotal role in the global energy market, accounting for roughly 12 per cent of world energy consumption by 2047.

"The key strategic objectives for India in the energy sector will entail significant expansion in refining capacities, raising the share of gas in the energy basket from about 6 per cent to 15 per cent, establishing leadership in petrochemical exports, and sharply reducing energy imports from current levels of 47 per cent to below 25 per cent by 2030 and to zero by 2047," he said.

India is targeting 500 GW of non-fossil fuel energy capacity, sourcing half of its energy needs from renewables, reducing carbon emissions by 1 billion tonnes and lowering carbon intensity by 45 per cent by 2030 with the ultimate goal of net-zero emissions by 2070.

"Building on its strong Indian energy presence, BPCL aspires to meet 7-10 per cent of the nation's primary energy demand by 2047," he said.