IndianOil Board has permitted the establishment of India’s first wide ranging Maleic Anhydride Plant to manufacture value-added chemical products. The setup will be done at its Panipat Refinery and Petroleum Complex (PRPC). The project will be commissioned in 54 months from stage 1 investment approval with the Capital expenditures of Rs 3681 crore and is proposed to have a capacity of 120 KTA (Kilo Tonnes per Annum) of Maleic Anhydride (MAH) that is used to make speciality products like polyester resins and surface coatings plasticizers, agrochemicals and lubricant additives. 20 KTA of 1,4-Butanediol (BDO) that finds applications in Poly Urethanes (PU), Poly Butylene Terephthalates (PBT) – an engineering grade plastic and biodegradable fibres will also be manufactured by the plant. 16 KTA of Tetra Hydro Furan (THF) which is another value-added chemical and is also widely used in adhesives and vinyl films will be produced from this plant to accelerate the growth of the pharmaceutical industry.

Mr. S M Vaidya, Chairman of IndianOil, conveying his thoughts on the newly approved Project, said, “Presently, these high demand chemicals are mostly imported by India. The upcoming MAH Plant will reduce import dependence and save foreign exchange of about USD 150 million per year, thus strengthening the mission of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Moreover, petrochemicals integration is the cornerstone of our future growth strategy, given the high potential of petrochemicals in India. This project will consolidate IndianOil’s basket of niche products and increase the Lube and Petrochemical Integrity Index of Panipat Refinery to more than 15% after the refinery expansion plan is implemented”.

The underway capacity expansion of the Panipat Refinery from 15 MMTPA to 25 MMTPA and the implementation of petrochemical and other specialized units will emerge this Refinery as one of the most advanced and integrated refinery and petrochemical complexes in Asia, with a complexity index of over 15. For deriving maximum value from the petrochemical molecule, units like Indmax are included in the expansion blueprint. Polypropylene unit and a Lube complex for producing lube oil base stock apart from other units of refinery. The existing Olefinic and Aromatic complex shall also be increased along with the implementation of grass-root speciality petrochemical units like the Styrene unit and the just-approved Maleic Anhydride Unit.