Axens, France’s energy giant lands 9mmtpa refinery construction deal in India

…Its second project in months in South Asian country

…Also built Manali 10.5mmtpa 10 years ago

…Already off with Nigerian BUA group’s 200,000 mtpa plant

Ben Eguzozie, in Port Harcourt

France’s global energy technology solutions provider, Axens group, has been selected by India’s Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL), a member of the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), to supply advanced technologies for its state-of-the-art 9 million metric tons per annum (MMTPA) refinery to be built at Cauvery Basin at Nagapattinam in Tamil, southern part of India.

CPCL’s Cauvery Basin Refinery (CBR) was commissioned in November 1993, to process Narimanam crude, initially with a capacity of 0.5 MMTPA, further expanded to 1.0 MMTPA in 2002. CPCL is planning to expand the capacity of CBR by adding grassroots facilities at the same location of the existing refinery in Nagapattinam.

For over a decade, Axens has built a strong and trustful relationship with CPCL for its Manali Refinery (10.5 MMTPA), involved in technologies, catalysts and services supply and supporting it through different projects.

Axens, a global expert in the energy industry technology supplies, will provide the following for CPCL’s Cauvery Basin Refinery: Naphtha Hydrotreating Unit, Reforming unit (Octanizing), C5-C6 isomerization unit, VGO (Vacuum Gasoil) Hydrotreater incorporating ZPJE spiraled tube heat exchangers technology that enables to achieve highest energy efficiency through heat recovery maximization, Cracked gasoline selective desulfurization (Prime-G+) unit, and Sulfur block consisting of two trains of Claus unit and two trains of Tail Gas Treatment unit (Sultimate).

The French energy group is already off with supply of process technologies for Nigerian BUA Group’s 200,000 bpd greenfield refinery and petrochemicals plant in Akwa Ibom State.

Corinne Garriga, head of Axens Group Communications, in a statement to Business A.M., quoting Patrick Sarrazin, Executive Vice-President of Process Licensing Global Business Unit, said the scope of Axens’ work includes the supply of process book, catalysts & adsorbents proprietary equipment, trainings and technical services.

“Today marks a significant step towards the expansion of the CPCL’s Cauvery Basin Refinery. With these numerous advanced technologies, CPCL will be well positioned to supply the market with clean fuels reaching Bharat Stage VI (BS VI) specifications. Our extensive refining technology expertise, global capabilities in the basic design, catalysts, equipment and services supply position Axens ideally to deliver this important contract for CPCL,” Sarrazin said.

The CPCL Cauvery Basin Refinery project is Axens second big deal energy project in months in India, a member of the BRICS group of nations. Last February, the French energy firm was awarded contract to upgrade the Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL), carved out of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), a state-run oil refining undertaking under India’s Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

NRL, in which BPCL holds 61.65 per cent stake, while Oil India holds 26 per cent, and the government of Assam owns 12.35 per cent, selected Axens to supply advanced technologies in gasoline block for the Numaligarh Refinery expansion project (NREP).

India has 18 public sector refineries, and five refineries in the private sector/or as a joint venture. The largest refineries are RIL Jamnagar (Gujarat), NEL Vadinar (Gujarat) and IOC Panipat (Haryana). As part of its strategy to divest stake in state-run BPCL, which runs two large refineries, the Indian government in November 2020 decided to carve out NRL from BPCL.