Jaisalmer: A massive fire broke out at the HPCL Pachpadra Refinery in Balotra on Monday afternoon, a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to inaugurate the refinery on Tuesday. The incident triggered panic among administration officials and authorities.
The official cause of the fire and the exact section affected were not confirmed.
However, according to sources, the blaze followed an exchanger explosion at the main refinery’s CDU-VDU side, CDU – Crude Distillation Unit, VDU–Vacuum Distillation Unit, that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to inaugurate on Tuesday,
The refinery remained in a state of chaos with the inauguration set for the next day.
Dozens of fire brigade vehicles were deployed to tackle the blaze.
Preliminary inputs indicate that the flames broke out in the Crude Distillation Unit of the refinery. Since a high-profile inauguration event is lined up for Tuesday, the sudden blaze led to considerable chaos inside the plant as emergency units raced to contain the spread.
Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma is slated to visit the refinery around 4 pm for an on-site assessment. Officials added that an evaluation of the damage is underway and more clarity is expected once technical teams complete their review.
India’s first greenfield integrated refinery
It is worth noting here that the Prime Minister is scheduled to unveil India’s first greenfield integrated refinery-cum-petrochemical complex on Tuesday. Government data shows the project involves an investment exceeding Rs 79,450 crore which makes it one of the largest industrial developments in the region.
The state-of-the-art complex integrates refining and petrochemical production, with a petrochemical capacity of 2.4 MMTPA. The refinery features a high Nelson Complexity Index of 17.0 and petrochemical yields exceeding 26 per cent, aligning with global benchmarks for efficiency and sustainability. The project is expected to play a pivotal role in strengthening India’s energy security, enhancing petrochemical self-sufficiency, and driving industrial growth. It will serve as an anchor industry for the development of a petrochemical and plastic park in the region, promoting downstream industries and ancillary sectors, an official statement said.
Additionally, the refinery is poised to generate significant employment opportunities, contributing to the socio-economic development of the region. The 9 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA) greenfield refinery-cum-petrochemical complex has been developed as a joint venture between Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and the government of Rajasthan.
