Focus on smaller refineries to overcome land acquisition challenges

01 Jun 2023 CW Team

Puri emphasised that expanding the country's refinery capacity to 450 MMTPA remains a priority, and specific policy decisions will follow suit. He stressed the importance of avoiding overly large refineries, as they often encounter complications related to land acquisition and other issues. The minister's remarks are particularly relevant considering the obstacles faced by projects like the West Coast mega refinery, which has experienced delays due to land acquisition hurdles, environmental clearances, and funding issues. Initially announced in 2015, the $44 billion project in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district aimed to achieve a record-breaking refinery capacity of 60 MMTPA. However, conflicts between the previous Maharashtra government controlled by the Shiv Sena party and the BJP-led Centre resulted in significant delays for the mega project.

Additionally, the Rajasthan Refinery Project (RRP), India's largest upcoming integrated refinery and petrochemical complex, has also fallen behind schedule since its announcement in 2013. To address these challenges, the government is in the process of forming a core team that will tackle the hurdles, revive discussions, and engage multiple stakeholders in meaningful dialogues. This team will consist of officials from the ministry, oil marketing companies (OMCs), and other relevant parties.

India's current refining capacity stands at approximately 250 MMTPA, equivalent to about 5 million barrels per day (bpd). However, with projected fuel demand expected to double to 10 million bpd by 2050, the need to expand refinery infrastructure becomes crucial.

Hardeep Singh Puri, the Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, addressed the attendees of the energy summit organised by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce-North India Council (IACC- NIC), highlighting the government's shift towards setting up relatively smaller oil refineries with capacities of approximately 20 MMTPA. This approach aims to overcome the challenges associated with land acquisition, which have plagued larger refinery projects. Puri emphasised that expanding the country's refinery capacity to 450 MMTPA remains a priority, and specific policy decisions will follow suit. He stressed the importance of avoiding overly large refineries, as they often encounter complications related to land acquisition and other issues. The minister's remarks are particularly relevant considering the obstacles faced by projects like the West Coast mega refinery, which has experienced delays due to land acquisition hurdles, environmental clearances, and funding issues. Initially announced in 2015, the $44 billion project in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district aimed to achieve a record-breaking refinery capacity of 60 MMTPA. However, conflicts between the previous Maharashtra government controlled by the Shiv Sena party and the BJP-led Centre resulted in significant delays for the mega project. Additionally, the Rajasthan Refinery Project (RRP), India's largest upcoming integrated refinery and petrochemical complex, has also fallen behind schedule since its announcement in 2013. To address these challenges, the government is in the process of forming a core team that will tackle the hurdles, revive discussions, and engage multiple stakeholders in meaningful dialogues. This team will consist of officials from the ministry, oil marketing companies (OMCs), and other relevant parties. India's current refining capacity stands at approximately 250 MMTPA, equivalent to about 5 million barrels per day (bpd). However, with projected fuel demand expected to double to 10 million bpd by 2050, the need to expand refinery infrastructure becomes crucial.

Infrastructure Urban

10 Mar 2026

ABB to Invest Rs 6.25 Billion to Expand India Manufacturing

ABB recently announced plans to invest approximately Rs 6.25 billion ($75 million) in India during 2026 to expand its manufacturing footprint and research and development capabilities. The investment follows more than $35 million spent in 2025 and reflects the company’s continued focus on strengthening its ‘local-for-local’ strategy in the country.The investment will support ABB’s Electrification, Motion and Automation businesses and expand manufacturing capacity for infrastructure sectors such as renewable energy, metro rail, data centres and industrial applications. Approximately 300..

Equipment

10 Mar 2026

Six WOLFF Cranes Handle 60,000 m³ Concrete for German Hospital

Six WOLFF tower cranes are playing a key role in constructing a new hospital complex in Memmingen, Germany, supporting large-scale material handling for the project. The facility is being built on a 7.7-hectare site and will feature six floors, around 480 beds and a gross floor area exceeding 75,000 sq m.Building shell works began recently in February 2025. One WOLFF 6531.12 Cross crane supported early site preparation before being dismantled in autumn 2025, while five remaining cranes continue operations. Over an average deployment period of 16 months, the cranes are expected to move approxim..

Equipment

10 Mar 2026

REC Funds Rs 115.6 Million CSR Support for Bihar Eye Hospital

REC recently committed Rs 115.6 million under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme for the procurement of clinical and non-clinical equipment at Sankara Eye Hospital in Saharsa, Bihar. The initiative aims to strengthen healthcare infrastructure and improve access to specialised eye care services in the region.A Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was recently signed between Pradeep Fellows, Executive Director (CSR), REC Limited, and Wg Cdr V. Shankar (Retd), Trustee and Executive Director of Sankara Eye Hospital, at the REC office in the SCOPE Complex, New Delhi.The support is expecte..