HPCL Rajasthan Refinery inauguration delayed after suspected hydrocarbon leak fire
A fire broke out at the new HPCL Rajasthan Refinery (HRRL) in Balotra on Monday, pushing back its much-anticipated inauguration that was supposed to happen today.
The blaze was suspected to have started because of a hydrocarbon leak in one unit, but was quickly brought under control, and thankfully, no one was hurt.
Now, a team from the Petroleum Ministry is looking into what happened and when the opening can be rescheduled.
India's ₹80,000cr greenfield refinery since 2016
This isn't just any project: it's India's first new greenfield refinery since 2016, and it cost nearly ₹80,000 crore.
HRRL is a joint venture between HPCL (holding 74%) and the Rajasthan government (26%), with plans to process 9 million tons of crude oil every year—including a big chunk for petrochemicals.
While commercial operations were set for July 1, HPCL says all units are structurally safe and unaffected, while the financial and operational impact is being assessed.