Hardeep Puri Announces Major Expansion of Numaligarh Refinery in Assam
Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Puri announced that the Numaligarh Refinery in Assam is expanding its capacity from 3 million tonnes per year to 9 MMTPA. The project, with a budget of Rs 28,026 crore, includes a 1,640 km pipeline from Paradip Port to Numaligarh and is set to be completed by 2024. The Assam government increased its stake in the refinery to 26% in May 2021, investing Rs 2,187 crore. This expansion aims to boost India’s energy self-sufficiency.
Key Details
- Expansion of Numaligarh Refinery from 3 MMTPA to 9 MMTPA
- 1,640 km pipeline from Paradip Port to Numaligarh
- Project budget: Rs 28,026 crore
- Completion expected by 2024
- Assam government increased stake to 26% in May 2021
- Investment by Assam government: Rs 2,187 crore
About Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL)
NRL is a public sector oil company operating a 3 MMTPA refinery in Assam’s Golaghat district, under the administrative control of the Union Ministry of Petroleum. It is the largest of the four refineries in Assam and significantly contributes to the state’s economic development.
Doubts Revealed
Hardeep Puri -: Hardeep Puri is a minister in the Indian government. He is responsible for the Petroleum and Natural Gas department, which deals with oil and gas resources in India.
Numaligarh Refinery -: The Numaligarh Refinery is a place in Assam where crude oil is processed to make petrol, diesel, and other products. It helps provide fuel for vehicles and industries.
Assam -: Assam is a state in the northeastern part of India. It is known for its tea gardens, wildlife, and oil refineries.
MMTPA -: MMTPA stands for Million Metric Tonnes Per Annum. It is a way to measure how much oil a refinery can process in a year.
Rs 28,026 crore -: Rs 28,026 crore is a large amount of money. In Indian currency, ‘crore’ means ten million, so this is 280,260 million rupees.
1,640 km pipeline -: A pipeline is a long tube used to transport oil or gas. This pipeline will be 1,640 kilometers long, which is about the distance from Delhi to Mumbai.
Paradip Port -: Paradip Port is a major port in Odisha, India. It is used for importing and exporting goods, including oil.
2024 -: 2024 is the year by which the expansion project is expected to be completed. It is two years from now.
26% stake -: A 26% stake means owning 26 out of every 100 parts of the refinery. The Assam government now owns this much of the Numaligarh Refinery.
Rs 2,187 crore -: Rs 2,187 crore is another large amount of money. It is 21,870 million rupees, which the Assam government invested in the refinery.
energy self-sufficiency -: Energy self-sufficiency means being able to produce enough energy (like petrol and diesel) within the country so that we don’t have to buy it from other countries.