BY RAJESH GOWTENDE
Ratnagiri refinery management is leaving no stones unturned to turn reality.
THE ambitious 60 million tonnes a year fefinery project - the largest at single location -planed on the Konkan cost is Ratanagiri district of Maharastra may have seen land acquisition plans put on hold following political opposition and local protestes, but the management of Ratanagiri Refinery & Petrochemicals(RRPCL) are carrying out the groundwork-be it looking at designs, technology and configuration, technology and configuration, for being engaged in around the Konkan villages to make the refinery possible.
Around 80 per cent of the overall land (15,000 acres) earmarked for the refinery are not under cultivation and 35-40 per cent of land owners have already given their consent for land owner have already given their consent for lend acquisition claimed B Ashok, CEO, RRPCL . He said the state government is extending full support and that he is confident of starting the work as per schedule by 2020.
"I am pretty confident that this is the best place,"he said, commenting on the location. Unlike refinery projects in the, past when when Indian refiners had to scout for global partners for investment, the Ratanagiri refinery project has started with two strong global leaders in oil industry as partners Soudi Aribia's Aramco and UAE's Adnoc have signed up to pickup 50 percent stake in RPPCL,Public sector oil companies such as IOC, BCPL and HPCL hold the rest 50 percent.
Konkan farmers have also been concerned about any thing that would impact the world -famous Alphonos mangoes that grows in the region ."I have promised hundred thousand tress in refinery complex," Ashok said. The management is also trying to sensitise the villagers on the economic benefits of Re.3 lakh corer project.To show them how to refineries have transformed locations, villagers from the Nanar area were taken said. There are 14-villages with 850 families in project area, and consensus building exercise is on.
Recently, former BJP MLA from the area, Pramod Jathar,said the step to step land acquisition this time is aimed at buying a temporary truce with the Siva Sena, the most vocal opponent of the project. He excepts that the project would gain pace once that land acquisition package is announced. Not only is BJP's coalition partner opposing the project, they are also joined by the opposition Congress and NCP.
"Our refining capacity right now is at per with demand leaving asides the export -orient-ed refinery capacity right now is at per with demand leaving aside the export-orient-ed refinery capacity.we need greenfield refineries ," said Ashok. India plans to more then double its refineries capacity to 533 million tones a year by 2040, considering the palace at which the fuel demand is growing as well as petrochemical products demand. Most of public sector refineries are also looking at integrated refinery projects - refinery-cum-petrochemical complex.
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