Prime Minister lays foundation stone of Rs 5460 Crore Petrochemical Project in Assam

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh today laid the Foundation Stone of the Rs. 5460 crore Petrochemical Project of Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL). This marks a significant step in the direction of setting up the petrochemical project in Assam, which is expected to be completed in 2011 i.e. 60 months from the date of approval. The dignitaries present on the occasion include Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Ajai Singh, PVSM, AVSM, Governor of Assam, Shri Tarun Gogoi, Chief Minister, Assam, Shri Murli Deora, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Ram Vilas Paswan, Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers and Steel, Shri Sontosh Mohan Dev, Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Shri B K Handique, Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers and Parliamentary Affairs and Shri Dinsha Patel, Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas. Also present were Shri Prithibi Majhi, Minister of Planning and Development, Labour and Employment and Tea Tribes Welfare, Assam, Shri Pradyut Bordoloi, Minister of Power, Industries and Commerce, Assam and Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Member of Parliament, Dibrugarh were also present on the occasion.

Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited, is a Joint Venture company promoted by GAIL (India) Limited with 70 per cent equity stake. The remaining 30 per cent equity will be shared equally among OIL, NRL and Govt. of Assam. The company is implementing the project to set-up an integrated Petrochemical Complex at Lepetkata, District Dibrugarh. The site has been identified by the Govt. of Assam and necessary Environmental clearance has been obtained.

Towards contributing to the industrial development of the region, the project is expected to give a boost to further investments in downstream plastic processing industries and allied activities with a potential for substantial direct ant indirect employment generation. The Government of Assam has agreed to grant Exemption from Entry tax on capital goods, Exemption from Works Contract Tax during construction and Sales Tax / VAT exemption on feed stock and products for 15 years from the date of commencement of production.

The Feedstock for the Petrochemical Complex is 6.0 MMSCMD gas from Oil India Limited (OIL) Duliajan and 1.35 MMSCMD gas from Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGCL) upto 31/3/2012 and 1.00 MMSCMD thereafter. The Petrochemical Complex will also utilize 160,000 tons per annum (TPA) of petrochemical grade Naphtha from Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL).

The petrochemical complex will comprise of a cracker unit, downstream polymer and integrated off-site/utilities plants. The complex has been configured with a capacity of 220,000 tons per annum (TPA) of Ethylene and 60,000 TPA of propylene with Natural Gas and Naphtha as feed stock. The Products from the Petrochemical Complex shall be 220,000 Tons per annum (TPA) of HDPE/LLDPE, 60000 TPA of Polypropylene, 55000 TPA of Raw Pyrolysis Gasoline and 12,500 TPA of Fuel oil.

The existing LPG plant of GAIL at Lakwa will be modified to process gas for recovery of ethane and higher hydrocarbon fraction, which will be transported to Lepetkata through a pipeline.

Source : Press Information Bureau

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