Indian Oil Ministry to Revamp the Developmental Roadmap of the West Coast Refinery

Indian Oil Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri, has hinted at a modification in the blueprint for the proposed 1.2 million barrels per day West Coast refinery project, a collaboration between Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Saudi Aramco, and UAE's Adnoc. He proposed constructing three separate refineries, each with a 20 million tonnes annual capacity, rather than a single 60 million tonnes facility.

Local opposition in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri region and operational challenges associated with such a large-scale refinery have led to this reconsideration. Even though the project received significant financial backing, amounting to $50 billion during Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman's India visit, on-ground challenges have slowed its progress since its initiation in 2015.

While there might be alterations in this project's execution, India's objective of amplifying its refining capacity remains unchanged. With an aim to escalate from the existing 252 million tonnes per year to 450 million tonnes, Indian refiners target adding 56 million tonnes annually by 2028, as mentioned by Junior Oil Minister Rameswar Teli in a recent parliamentary discourse.

According to the article by Procurement Resource, Indian Oil Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri, is re-evaluating the West Coast refinery project, a collaboration between IOC, Saudi Aramco, and Adnoc. Instead of a singular 60 million tonnes per year facility, the proposal now leans towards three smaller refineries, each with a 20 million tonnes annual capacity. This shift is due to local challenges and opposition in Maharashtra. Nonetheless, India's ambition to boost its refining capacity to 450 million tonnes per year by adding 56 million tonnes annually by 2028 remains steadfast.