New Delhi: Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has dispatched the first consignment of Acrylic Acid from the company's Propylene Derivative Petrochemical (PDP) complex at Kochi Refinery on Wednesday. The first lorry was flagged off by BPCL's Director (Finance) N Vijayagopal. The first supplies of acrylic acid, which is used in hygienic medical products, detergents, and wastewater treatment chemicals, plastics, coatings, adhesives, elastomers, paints, and polishes, etc were made to Rossari Biotech and Visen Industries. In the next few weeks, production of Oxo Alcohols and Acrylates is also expected to commence.
While speaking on the occasion, Vijayagopal said, "Propylene Derivatives Petrochemical Complex at BPCL Kochi Refinery marks the first major endeavour in India, either in public or private sector, to produce niche petrochemicals which are predominantly being imported to the country. The complex will result in savings of Rs 4,000 crore of valuable foreign exchange."
Acrylic Acid is one of the six niche petrochemical products which will be produced at the PDP complex at Kochi Refinery. Built at the cost of Rs 6,000 crore, the complex has an Acrylic Acid Unit, Acrylates Unit and Oxo-Alcohol Unit of world-scale size and capacity. Acrylic acid unit is the largest single-train unit in the world with a capacity of 160,000 MTPA. This unit was dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 14, 2021.
Commenting on this milestone, BPCL's Executive Director (Industrial & Commercial) S Jena said, "We are delighted to despatch the first consignment of this product to some of the reputed industries. All these products put together would replace almost 90 percent of the country's import in this segment. These products are going to benefit the industries across a variety of sectors such as Specialty Chemicals, Plasticizers, Paints and Adhesives. The customers were eagerly waiting for this domestic production as their existing arrangement with overseas suppliers involved considerable transit time, supply uncertainty and price unpredictability. We are ready with Oxo Alcohols as well and in next few weeks' time, we will make Butyl Acrylate and 2 Ethyl Hexyl Acrylate available to the customers. We have made a very robust and safe logistic arrangement for the transportation of these products. This Make in India initiative of ours has been well appreciated by all the stakeholders."
The annual production of Acrylic Acid, Oxo Alcohols and Acrylates is estimated to be 329 KT, which will substitute the import of these products, saving approximately Rs 4,000 crore in foreign exchange and benefitting the industries across a variety of business segments, such as Specialty Chemicals, Plasticizers and Paints & Adhesives.
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