Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited’s Visakha refinery is all set to supply Euro-IV-compliant petrol from April 2010. HPCL has invested Rs 2,600 crore in Visakha Refinery to meet Euro norms.
“We are ready to produce Euro-IV and Euro-III products from Vizag refinery. However, for supplying the same in the market we would wait up to April as we first have to clear our old stock and then clean the Vizag-Hyderabad product supply pipeline,” PAB Raju, executive director, Vizag refinery, told Business Standard. It will take another year to supply Euro-IV diesel to the state capital.
While Euro-IV petrol will be available in Hyderabad, the rest of the state would be supplied Euro-III petrol and diesel, he added. HPCL has plans to expand the capacity of Vizag refinery by 6 million tonne from the present 9 million tonne.
In view of the expansion, HPCL is investing Rs 600 crore for setting up a mooring berth at Vizag port. “The berth will be ready by mid of next fiscal after which ocean freight charges on imports of crude oil would reduce significantly,” he said.
Currently, crude oil vessels of 145,000-tonne capacity come to Vizag port, which after commencement of mooring berth, would be able accommodate 275,000-tonne capacity vessels. “Our handling charges will also be minimised and enable us to save on transportation charges,” Raju said.
