The Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) has a number of projects in its pipeline in a bid to reach every northeastern state. The government-owned oil and gas explorer and producer has commissioned four mega projects in Assam, Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya at an estimated cost of over Rs. 1000 crores to expand its Petroleum, Oil and Lubricant (POL) storage capacities, including setting up a greenfield facility in the Northeast.
G Ramesh, Executive Director and State Head, IOAOD SO informed that a storage depot is being set up at Sekerkote, Tripura at an estimated cost of Rs. 656 crores that is expected to be completed by 2024.
A state-of-the-art terminal was commissioned in March 2022 at Moinarband near Silchar, Assam this year. The total cost of construction is estimated at Rs. 500 crores. It is a grass-root BG Railfed POL Storage Depot with a gross tankage capacity of 30,768 KL to take care of petroleum demands of the Northeast.
"As there is no presence of the oil and petroleum industry in Mizoram, IndianOil is planning an Rs. 172 crores bottling plant in the state. We are also in talks with the government to build a depot at Sairang in Mizoram. Once the land is allowed, the project will be approved," he further informed.
In Meghalaya, the oil major has started work on an Rs. 75.54 crores bottling plant in Umiam. It will be a 30 TMTPA LPG bottling pant with 450 MT storage capacity. The anticipated date of completion of the plant is December 2023. "We are also in talks with the government to build a depot at Umang," he said.
A Rs. 170 crores (approx.) LPG bottling plant has been inaugurated at the Budhjungnagar Industrial Area at RK Nagar in Tripura. The plant has a rated capacity of 60,000 Thousand Metric Tonnes Per Annum (TMTPA) and can bottle 17,000 cylinders every day, including domestic and commercial ones. It can also store 1,350 MT in leak-proof mounded bullets of LPG.
"The capacity of the plant is such that it can cater to the LPG requirement of Tripura for the next 30 years," said Ramesh.
Currently, IndianOil has 9 Bulk storage Depots / Terminals in Tinsukia, Kamrup (2 nos.), Hojai, Cachar, Sonitpur, West Imphal, Tripura(N), Papumpare; and Dimapur 8 LPG Bottling Plants are located at Guwahati(2 tons), Silchar, Gopanari, Bongaigaon, Sekmai, Agartala and Dimapur through which the LPG requirement of the State is being met. IndianOil also has 15 Aviation Fuel Stations at Agartala, Aizwal, Along, Barapani, Chabua, Dibrugarh, Dimapur, Doom Dooma, Guwahati, Imphal, Jorhat, Kumbhigram, Lilabari, Naharlagun, Passighat, Tezpur and Ziro.
In the current financial year 2022-23, IndianOil has pumped an investment of Rs. 90.58 crores till August 2022 in the NE, against its Capex target of Rs. 39.03 crores. The company's total target investment for the current fiscal is Rs. 102.72 crores.
"For the last 2 years IOCL has been spending approximately Rs. 200 crores year-on-year on Capex. Most of it is in retail so that we get closer to the customers. The establishment of the outlets is also leading to the development of the area and generating indirect unemployment. We are also looking to invest another Rs. 200 crores in this fiscal," said the Executive Director.
Sustainable goals of IndianOil in NE:
"All developments need to be sustainable. IOCL is working to get every IOCL terminal or depot GreenCo certified this year," said G Ramesh. The Sarpara and Betkuchi plants have already received GreenCo certification.
The GreenCo system is aimed to facilitate Indian industry to make substantial improvements in their environmental performance thereby saving both natural and financial resources.
A 150 kWp solar power plant has been commissioned at North Guwahati BP and a 100 kWp solar plant at Lumding. The company has an internal target to convert over 25 per cent of the total consumption of its locations through renewable energy in this FY.
We have an internal target of solarising at least 25 per cent of our overall requirements in each of our locations," he added.
Furthermore, IndianOil has commissioned a biogas plant at Lumding and Betkuchi terminals. "The gas generated from the organic wastes in these plants are used for cooking in their kitchen," he added.
Ramesh added that CSR projects worth Rs. 5.6 crores are under progress in the NE in FY 2022-23.
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