Rajasthan: Centre postpones HRRL refinery inauguration after fire incident

New Delhi: The Central government on Monday postponed the scheduled inauguration of HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Limited (HRRL), billed as the country’s first greenfield integrated refinery-cum-petrochemical project.

“Due to an unfortunate fire incident today in the vicinity of the Crude Distillation Unit at the HRRL refinery, the scheduled dedication of the refinery by the Hon’ble Prime Minister on 21.04.2026 has been postponed,” the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said in a post on X.

“The fire has been brought under control. There are no reports of any casualties. An investigation has been initiated to ascertain the cause(s) of the incident and to undertake necessary remedial measures. A revised date for the dedication will be announced in due course,” it added.

Apart from dedicating the HRRL project to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also scheduled to address a public gathering near the project site located at Pachpadra in Balotra district of Rajasthan, as per a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s office.

HRRL is a joint venture between Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and the Government of Rajasthan. HPCL holds 74 per cent stake and the rest 26 per cent is with the Rajasthan government.

The project, being developed with an investment of Rs 79,450 crore, will have the refinery capacity of 9 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA).

The state-of-the-art complex integrates refining and petrochemical production, with a petrochemical capacity of 2.4 MMTPA. The refinery features a high Nelson Complexity Index of 17.0 and petrochemical yields exceeding 26 per cent, aligning with global benchmarks for efficiency and sustainability, as per an official statement released by the PMO.

“The project is expected to play a pivotal role in strengthening India’s energy security, enhancing petrochemical self-sufficiency, and driving industrial growth,” it said.

As per a brief note shared by HRRL, the project will have the capacity to process imported crude as well as Rajasthan crude. The design crude mix is 1.5 MMTPA of Rajasthan crude plus 7.5 MMTPA of imported crude.

“The complex is also designed to process 9 MMTPA imported crude,” it said.