Rajasthan signs JV pact with HPCL for Barmer refinery project

A day after the Union Government gave approval to the Barmer Petroleum Refinery-cum- Petrochemical Complex,  the state government, on Thursday, signed an agreement with the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) to set up a joint venture company for setting up the project.
 
 As per the agreement, HPCL will have 74% and the state government 26% partnership in the new firm called HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Limited (HRRL). The total cost of this project is rupees 43,129 crores. The signing ceremony took place at CM residence when Principal Secretary Mines & Petroleum  Aparna Arora and Director (Finance) of HPCL Shri J.
Ramaswami signed the JV agreement respectively on behalf of the state government and the HPCL.
 
The CM expressed satisfaction on the progress of the refinery. She directed the officials to proceed further on the project on equally fast pace as soon as the Environmental Clearance was received from the Union Ministry of Environment.

Raje said that after receiving all necessary clearances on slated deadlines, ground breaking ceremony would be solemnised for start of the actual work for the refinery. She said that after honest negotiations between the officials of the state government and the HPCL led to the significant savings of Rs. 40,000 crore.
 
The CM said that this would be the first petrol refinery in the country to produce BS-VI emission standards. This would be a major step towards controlling carbon emissions and have a substantial impact on the environment. She directed the state government officials for skill training of local youth through ITIs and skill development centres to get them employment in refinery and ancillary industries.
 
As per the proposed plan, the refinery project would be established on 4,813 acres of land area. The tender process for the boundary wall for this has been initiated. The entire construction work of this project would be finished in a record time of four years. Interestingly, 270 MW power would be generated from the waste petcoke generated from the refinery. A green zone would be established in the refinery campus and a new industrial area would also be developed.