New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation HPCL's Pachpadra refinery, India's first greenfield integrated refinery-cum-petrochemical complex, at Balotra, Rajasthan, on July 4, more than two months after a fire at the complex forced the postponement of its April inauguration, as part of a slate of development projects worth around Rs 1.06 lakh crore, spanning petrochemicals, urban transport, railways, roads, renewable energy and power transmission, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement on Friday.
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The PMO said the dedication marks "a landmark achievement in the country's energy and petrochemical sector." The Prime Minister will visit Rajasthan and Gujarat on July 4, travelling to Balotra at around 12:15 PM to dedicate, inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for the projects and address a public gathering, according to the statement.
Developed as a joint venture between Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and the government of Rajasthan, the 9 Million Metric Tonnes Per Annum (MMTPA) greenfield complex has been established with an investment of over Rs 79,450 crore, the statement said.
The complex integrates refining and petrochemical production, with a petrochemical capacity of 2.4 MMTPA, according to the PMO. The refinery features a Nelson Complexity Index of 17.0 and petrochemical yields exceeding 26 percent, which the statement said aligns "with global benchmarks for efficiency and sustainability."
The PMO said the project is expected to play "a pivotal role in strengthening India's energy security, enhancing petrochemical self-sufficiency, and driving industrial growth," and will serve as an anchor industry for a Petrochemical and Plastic Park in the region.
The Prime Minister will dedicate SJVN Limited's 1,000 MW Bikaner Solar Energy Project, developed with an investment of about Rs 5,500 crore, the statement said. The project uses 24.22 lakh domestically manufactured solar modules, according to the PMO.
He will also dedicate NHPC's 300 MW Karnisar Bikaner Solar Energy Plant, which uses about 7.75 lakh domestically manufactured solar PV cells and modules, the statement said.
The Prime Minister will inaugurate a transmission line constructed at a cost of over Rs 1,900 crore for power evacuation from the Rajasthan Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), and lay the foundation stone for a 530 km-long power transmission system for the REZ, the statement said.
According to the PMO, the transmission systems will "facilitate the evacuation of renewable energy generated in Rajasthan" and help ensure uninterrupted power supply in the state.
Beyond the energy projects, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for Phase 2 of the Jaipur Metro Rail Project, at a total cost of over Rs 13,000 crore, comprising a 41-km north-south corridor with 36 stations, the statement said. He will also dedicate the Churu–Sadulpur (58 km) and Churu–Ratangarh (46 km) rail doubling projects, spanning 104 km and built at a cost of around Rs 900 crore, and inaugurate the four-laning of NH-125A, Jodhpur Ring Road Section-2, developed at a cost of about Rs 740 crore.
Earlier in the day, at around 10:45 AM in Jodhpur, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the new Terminal Building of Jodhpur Airport, developed at a cost of Rs 480 crore, and launch the Modified UDAN scheme, which carries an allocation of Rs 28,840 crore over the next 10 years, according to the statement. The PMO said he will also hand over appointment letters to around 54,000 youth recruited across various departments of the Government of Rajasthan.
Later in the day, at around 4:30 PM, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the CG Semi Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facility in Sanand, Gujarat, the statement said. Developed with a total investment of over Rs 7,500 crore, the project is one of the first four approved under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), and once fully ramped up, the facility will have an annual production capacity of up to 5 billion semiconductor chips, according to the PMO.
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The July 4 inauguration comes more than two months after the refinery's dedication to the nation, originally scheduled for April 21, was postponed. A fire broke out at the Pachpadra refinery on April 20, a day before the planned inauguration by the Prime Minister. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said the fire, which occurred in the vicinity of the Crude Distillation Unit at the complex operated by HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Limited (HRRL), had led to the postponement of the dedication then scheduled for 21 April.
The complex, developed jointly by HPCL and the Rajasthan government at a cost of Rs 79,450 crore, has been termed the "Gem of the Desert."