Page 60 - Plastics News January 2018

Business news

RIL commissions the world’s IndianOil enters into technology

largest refinery off-gas cracker at tie-ups with Israeli companies
Jamnagar ndianOil Corporation (IndianOil) has signed Letters

Iof Intent (LoI) with M/s. Phinergy, an Israeli start-up
eliance Industries Limited (RIL) has successfully company, and YEDA, a technology spinoff company from
Rcommissioned and achieved design throughput of the Weizmann Research Institute,Israel. IndianOil Chairman,
world’s first ever and largest Refinery Off-Gas Cracker Mr. Sanjeev Singh, exchanged the agreements with
(ROGC) complex of 1.5 MMTPA capacity along with Mr. Daniel Carmon, Israeli Ambassador in India, in the
downstream plants and utilities. The ROGC complex is a presence of Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi,
core component of RIL’s most innovative and world-scale J3 and the visiting Prime Minister of Israel, His Excellency
project at its integrated Refinery-Petrochemicals complex
at Jamnagar. With the commissioning of ROGC complex,
the largest ever expansion of RIL’s petrochemicals
portfolio comes to a flawless completion. This is one of
the largest capital expenditure programme globally in the
sector in recent times. The ROGC complex has a unique
configuration as it uses off-gases from RIL’s two refineries
at Jamnagar as feedstock.

This innovative approach of integration with refineries Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu. The Letter of Intent with
provides a sustainable cost advantage, making ROGC M/s. Phinergy enables IndianOil to work onadoptionof
competitive with respect to the crackers in Middle East advanced energy systems for the Indian market for
and North America which have feedstock cost advantage. both mobility and stationary industrial applications.
ROGC design is highly flexible and energy efficient. ROGC Going forward, this association could lead to the setting
is the latest addition to RIL’s existing cracker portfolio, up of manufacturing units for these energy systems
consisting of cracker facilities at Nagothane in Maharashtra initially in India. Similarly, the Letter of Intent signed
and Hazira, Dahej and Vadodara in Gujarat. Ethylene from with YEDA (Weizmann Institute) will pave the way for
ROGC is used in downstream plants to produce Mono- research collaboration between both the organisationsfor
Ethylene Glycol (MEG) and Polyethylene (LLDPE and LDPE). developing solar to green fuel technologies through
Similarly, Propylene from ROGC has enhanced output concentrated solar thermal route.IndianOil’s R&DCentre,
situated in Faridabad(Delhi-NCR),will spearhead the
prospective research collaborations with these entities.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called
his country’s ties with India a “partnership made in
heaven” as he met top Indian executives in Mumbai and
later addressed a summit. He shared Israel’s economic
successes and said India was on the right path. Fifteen
companies and 60 businessmen from Israel participated
in the India-Israeli Business Summit, where he stressed
on the need for innovation. The event was jointly
organised by Israel, the Maharashtra government and
the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). He urged
of the existing Polypropylene (PP) plants at Jamnagar Israeli and Indian entrepreneurs to focus on innovation.
complex to produce high-value copolymers. The ROGC “Only constant innovation and competition will keep
complex is built in a record time with approximately your business in leadership position. If complacency sets
40% lower capital cost compared to the similar projects in, that will be the end of your business and we have
globally. seen this happening in the field of technology,” said
Netanyahu, who arrived in India on January 14.

Plastics News Januar y 2018 60