Kochi: The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has accorded environmental clearance to the ambitious petrochemical hub proposed by the BPCL-Kochi Refinery in Kochi.
The propylene derivatives petrochemical project (PDPP), which envisages an investment of Rs 4,600 crore, will use propylene available from the ongoing Integrated Refinery Expansion Project (IREP) of the refinery as raw material.
The project will be located in the vicinity of BPCL-Kochi Refinery for which land is already available. The project, which envisages production of niche propylene derivatives such as acrylic acid, acrylates and oxo alcohols that are mostly imported now, is expected to be commissioned in 2018. BPCL- Kochi Refinery has already identified international licensors to provide technology to take the project forward.
The project offers potential for setting up downstream and ancillary industries considering the nature of products and utilisation in common applications such as paints and coatings, printing inks, adhesives, water treatment, plasticisers and solvents. It is estimated that BPCL-Kochi Refinery’s investment in the three projects—IREP,PDPP and the proposed LPG pipeline, will cross Rs 25,000 crore.
