MRPL on way to emerge a 21 MTPA refinery by 2030

Mangalore Refineries and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) is all set to become a 21 MTPA refinery even as the company diversifies with a pet coke gasification plant and a LAB (linear alkyl benzene) unit.

This is in line with the perspective plan 2030 of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), the promoter of MRPL, the company's managing director PP Upadhya said in a statement on Friday.

MRPL is setting up a polypropylene plant while a joint venture company, ONGC-Mangalore Petrochemicals Ltd, is all set to commission an aromatic plant by September this year.

MRPL, a Mini Ratna (Category 1) public sector undertaking, is now aspiring to become a Schedule A company, Upadhya said.

"Today is a historic day for MRPL as it is completing a decade after being taken over by ONGC in the year 2003. MRPL is set to become a 21 MMTPA refinery with a pet coke gasification unit and a LAB unit in line with ONGC's perspective plan 2030," Sudhir Vasudeva, CMD of ONGC and chairman MRPL, said while addressing the media on the sidelines of a function to celebrate 10 years of ONGC-MRPL growth story.

ONGC took over MRPL in 2003 and turned it around with a net profit of Rs459 crore, from a net loss of Rs412 crore, moving the refiner out of BIFR to a member of the BSE 30 index.

The then 9.69 MMTPA refinery also recorded 104 per cent capacity utilisation with a 10.07 MMT throughput in the first year. It has since recorded capacity utilisation of up to 120 per cent.

MRPL has so far processed over 45 different crudes, including the Nile blend from South Sudan, the Sokol crude from Sakhalin-1 and the Mangala crude from Barmer fields of ONGC-Cairn.

MRPL was also the first to produce the EURO III, Euro IV petrol and diesel, in 2006, 2010, respectively. MRPL now produces EURO V diesel as well.