The Hindu : Guwahati Refinery close to technological breakthrough

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 30, 2003

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Guwahati Refinery close to technological breakthrough

By Our Special Correspondent

GUWAHATI Nov. 29. The Guwahati Refinery of the Indian Oil Corporation is on the verge of a technological breakthrough which could result in an annual saving of Rs.100 crores in foreign exchange.

Addressing a press conference here today, the refinery's General Manager, J. P. Guharay, said the project was being carried out in close cooperation with the IOC's Research and Development Centre at Faridabad.

The technology being developed is for the production of "needle coke", a high-value product used exclusively by the steel industry. Technology for its manufacture is a closely guarded secret held by three countries — the U.S., Japan and Australia.

The landed cost of needle coke is Rs. 25,000 a tonne and the country imports 40,000 tonnes every year, at a cost of Rs.100 crores.

The refinery has developed another technology called INDMAX (Indane Maximization). Adopting the Resid Fluidized Catalytic Cracking (RFCC) method or cracking the residual heavy products of the refinery, it has been possible to increase the yield of cooking gas (LPG) from the present 15-20 per cent to 40 per cent. The yield of motor spirit has also increased. Only a few U.S. companies know this technology. Recently, a Chinese firm has indigenously developed it.

Mr. Guharay hinted that from next year the Guwahati Refinery might start the production of aviation turbine fuel (ATF).

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