New Delhi [India], August 4 : As India's energy sector continues to expand and strengthen, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Puri stated that the country's journey towards energy self-sufficiency is gaining momentum.
In a post on X on Sunday morning, the Minister noted that the expansion of the Numaligarh Refinery in Assam is underway. Once complete, it will increase its refining capacity from 3 million tonnes per year to 9 MMTPA.
The Minister also shared a video showing the construction work for the expanded refinery unit.
A pipeline of around 1,640 km is being laid from Paradip Port to Numaligarh for transporting imported crude. The Numaligarh Refinery's expansion will enhance the overall crude oil processing capacity and is scheduled to be completed by 2024. Environmental clearance for the project was obtained in July 2020. The approved budget for the project is Rs 28,026 crore, according to the refinery's website.
Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) is a public sector oil company that operates a 3 MMTPA refinery in Assam's Golaghat district, under the administrative control of the Union Ministry of Petroleum.
"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. The additional stake cost the state's exchequer Rs 2,187 crore, the highest-ever investment by the state government in any PSU.
NRL is the largest of the four refineries operating in Assam and significantly contributes to Assam's overall economic development.
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