Capacity of Numaligarh Refinery in Assam to be increased by 3 times: Petroleum minister Hardeep Puri – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Minister for petroleum and natural gas, Hardeep Puri, stated that India’s journey towards energy self-sufficiency is gaining momentum. On Sunday morning, the minister noted that the Numaligarh Refinery in Assam is undergoing expansion to increase its refining capacity from 3 million tonnes per year to 9 million tonnes per annum (MMTPA).
The minister shared a video of the construction work for the expanded refinery unit.Additionally, a 1,640 km pipeline is also being laid from Paradip Port to Numaligarh to transport imported crude. The expansion will boost overall crude oil processing capacity and is set to be completed by 2024. The project, with an approved budget of Rs 28,026 crore, received environmental clearance in July 2020.
Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) is a public sector oil company operating a 3 MMTPA refinery in Assam’s Golaghat district, under the Union ministry of petroleum’s administrative control.
“As India’s energy sector continues to expand and strengthen under the leadership of PM @narendramodi Ji and our journey towards energy self-sufficiency gains acceleration, the Numaligarh Refinery Expansion Project is in the process of augmenting its refining capacity from 3 MMTPA to 9 MMTPA,” the minister wrote on X.
In May 2021, the Assam government increased its stake in the refinery from 12.35 per cent to 26 per cent. This additional stake cost Rs 2,187 crore, marking the highest-ever investment by the state government in any public sector undertaking (PSU).
NRL is the largest of the four refineries operating in Assam and significantly contributes to the state’s overall economic development.