Monday, January 18, 2010

Environment Minister dedicates HPCL’s EURO-4 Petrol Production Facilities to the Nation
  
Shri Jairam Ramesh, Minister of State for Environment and Forest dedicates HPCL’s EURO-4 Petrol Production Facilities to the Nation at Mumbai today.

Speaking on this occasion Environment Minister said that we have to be tough in matters related to environment. The Minister further said that Comprehensive Environmental Assessment was carried out in the country. The 88 industrial clusters were found critically polluted. Out of these 88 clusters, 8 are in Maharashtra including Tarapur and Chembur. The environment Ministry will not give clearance to any industry in these 88 clusters unless Action Plan is prepared and implemented to improve the environment in these areas. Drastic and tough measures are to be taken to save the environment. Elaborating further, he said that environment and public health are inter-dependent. In a place like Bhatinda where there is a critically polluted industrial cluster, the number of Cancer patients is a very high. Where the environment is polluted beyond a certain level, it has caused health hazards for the inhabitants of the area. Although today in India, transport emission forms 7 to 8% of the Green House Gases ( GHS) but keeping in view the rapid growth in transport sector, there is urgent need to provide clean fuel at affordable price, the Minister added.

Shri Murdli Deora, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas presided over the function. Speaking on the occasion the minister said that EURO-4 petrol will be introduced in 13 mega cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkatta, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore etc. by April 2010 where as EURO-3 petrol will be available in rest of country by October 2010. The Minister further said that Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) is one leading oil refining and marketing company in the country. In order to meet the above objective towards a greener environment as envisaged in auto Fuel Policy, HPCL’s Mumbai Refinery undertook, “Green Fuel and Emission Control Project (GFEC)”. The total cost of the project is Rs. 1731 crore for upgradation of petrol quality to meet Euro-4 specifications.

Shri Arun Balkrishnan, Chairman and Managing Director of HPCL while delivering welcome address said that Commission of this EURO IV Petrol Production Facilities is one of the several capital intensive projects which have been undertaken by HPCL to upgrade the petroleum products quality. HPCL has been one of the first to adopt ECO-friendly technologies such as changeover from Pehnol to NMP solvent in three lube extraction units and also changeover Oleum to NMP in the Hexane Treating Plant Drastic reduction in SO2 emissions have been achieved in both our Refineries-Mumbai & Visakh, inspite of significant increase in crude throughput. This has been achieved despite combined capacity increase from 4.5 to 13 MMTPA, addition of various secondary processing facilities and expansion of Lube manufacturing facilities. Over 75% of products from both the refineries are being evacuated through pipelines. Dependence on road transport for evacuation of products has been reduced drastically, resulting in considerable reduction in auto emissions to atmosphere.

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