CHENNAI: The Indian Oil Corporation is set to augment storage capacity of its bottling plants across Tamil Nadu at a cost of Rs 260 crore to brace up for the enhanced demand for LPG, according to P Jayadevan, executive director, Indian Oil (TN & Puducherry). Jayadevan told reporters that around 6,000-tonne storage was being added to the bottling plants in Ennore, Puducherry, Tiruchy, Madurai and Erode.
The IOC is expanding bottling capacity by adding carousel machines as in Coimbatore, Erode and Tiruchy, he said, adding that the Indian Oil commissioned Rs 90-crore LPG bottling plant in Salem last month, the first to be built on a ‘raze-and-rebuild basis.’ This comes as the Indian Oil has undertaken various projects in Tamil Nadu with an investment of Rs 8,520 crore, which include setting up of an exclusive jetty, laying of a new 1,250-km pipeline. Jayadevan also said the IOC would convert the booster station on the Chennai-Tiruchirapalli-Madurai pipeline into a full-fledged terminal.
A new terminal at Asanur (in Villupuram district) is being set up at a cost of Rs 470 crore and 75-acre land has been taken over from the Tamil Nadu Small Industries Development Corporation for this purpose. The terminal is expected to be commissioned by June, 2021, he said.
On the BS-VI fuel norms coming into force from April 1, 2020, he said the Indian Oil was fully geared up to implement it and a retail outlet in Mettupalayam was supplying BSVI HSD (high-speed diesel) on a pilot basis. “We will start the process by January,” he said.
On laying the 1,250-km LNG pipeline from Ennore to Thoothukudi, he said that 22.3-km pipeline stretch from Ennore to Manali had been commissioned. The Rs 6,000-crore project will cater for major industrial clusters in TN and Puducherry. The Indian Oil has begun setting up a new grass-roots terminal at Vallur near Ennore Port at an estimated cost of Rs 700 crore, he said, adding this terminal would receive products from refinery owned by group company Chennai Petroleum Corporation and Ennore Port.
Jayadevan said the IOC would have its own captive jetty at Kamarajar Port as there was heavy congestion and longer detention of tanker vessels. The jetty will handle about three million tonnes per annum (petroleum fuels -2 MMT, LPG-1 MMT) and preliminary work has started.
The cost for the jetty is expected to be Rs 1,000 crore and the work is expected to be completed in three to five years. In line with the government’s thrust on blending bio-fuels, the IOC is putting up additional tankage at all locations, he said. Referring to tapping renewable energy, Jayadevan said the IOC had undertaken solarization exercise of 876 retail outlets as of June 2019.