Page 140 - CW E-Magazine (18-2-2025)

Top Stories

PLASTIC PROCESSING

Rajoo Engineers breaks ground on new manufacturing

park

Rajoo Engineers, a plastic extru-
sion machinery specialist based in
Rajkot, Gujarat, has kicked off an am-
bitious business expansion project with
a ‘Bhumi Pujan’ (groundbreaking)
ceremony on 5th February 2025.

The company is establishing a
“fi rst-of-its-kind manufacturing park”
dedicated to advanced manufacturing
ecosystems on an 80-acre non-agricul-
tural land. The site will house a compre-
hensive ecosystem where all verticals
of Rajoo Engineers’ operations will be
seamlessly integrated under one roof,
the company said in a statement.

The project will be executed in
stages, starting with the development
of core infrastructure, including essen- consolidating all verticals to maximise sation, and promote environmentally
tial facilities and key operational hubs. efficiency, conserve resources, and responsible practices. Smart machines
This will be followed by the integration ensure seamless collaboration with 100% leveraging advanced technologies like
of advanced technology units, R&D green energy. “The project will incor- IoT will further enhance effi ciency,
centres, and sustainability-driven ope- porate lean manufacturing principles to predictive maintenance, and resource
rations. The fi nal stage will focus on minimise waste, optimise resource utili- optimisation,” the statement added.
EXPANSION PLANS

HPCL aiming for 20% increase in Vizag refi nery capacity

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation HPCL will soon start operations at chemical project will start operation by
Ltd. (HPCL) plans to increase the capa- the Vizag refi nery’s new secondary units, December, Mr. Narang said. The com-
city of its Vizag oil refi nery by as much as including a 3.5-mtpa residue upgradation pany plans to operate the Rajasthan refi -
20% to meet growing local fuel demand, unit to boost its distillate yield by 10% nery through spot oil purchases and
its Chairman Mr. Rajneesh Narang was and improve its gross refi ning margin would sign annual crude purchase deals
quoted as saying in a Reuters report. (GRM) by $3 per barrel. It will also bring for the plant from next year after the units
online a 2.6-mtpa diesel hydrodesulphu- stabilise, he added.
HPCL recently expanded the capac- riser. To future-proof its plants, HPCL
ity of the Vizag refi nery to 300,000-bpd is also building a petrochemicals plant HPCL imports about 21-mt of crude
(barrels per day) and is now looking for a at its 180,000-bpd Barmer refi nery in annually, with about 8-9 mt procured
further increase. “We are exploring rais- Rajasthan. The refi nery will a petrochemi- from the spot markets, Mr. Narang said.
ing the (annual) capacity by 2-3 million cal intensity – the percentage of crude To cut its crude import cost, the refi ner
(metric) tons (40,000-60,000 bpd). We oil converted into chemicals – of 26%. set up a crude trading desk last year
have to take a board approval for this,” that negotiates with oil sellers for better
Mr. Narang told Reuters, without provid- While crude processing at the Barmer terms instead of fl oating tenders for spot
ing the estimated cost or timeframe. refi nery will begin in June-July, the petro- purchases, he added.

140 Chemical Weekly February 18, 2025

Contents Index to Advertisers Index to Products Advertised