Page 30 - Plastics News September 2020

Indian Oil to install Grassroot Needle Coker RIL appoints Sanjiv Singh as 'Group President'
Unit at Paradip Refinery
anjiv Singh, former chairman of Indian Oil
tate-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) will SCorporation (IOCL), has joined Reliance Industries
Sinstall Grassroot Needle Coker Unit at Paradip as group president and member of the oil-to-
Refinery using it's R&D's in-house technology. The chemicals (O2C) business leadership team, senior RIL
company has cleared the Stage-1 approval for the officials said. Singh, who superannuated from the
installation. Notably, IOCL said, the proposed unit will services of IOCL on 30 June, will lead and drive the
have a Calcined Needle Coke (CNC) production group's manufacturing services, which is considered
capacity of 56 KTPA. The estimated project cost is
Rs1,268cr. IOCL will enter this niche product segment
for the first time with the production of CNC. According
to the company, CNC is used to produce Graphite
Electrodes for deployment in the high temperature

the backbone of RIL's oil-to-chemicals business. The
O2C division; a separate vertical (Reliance O2C
Limited) with independent balance sheet just like the
digital arm, Jio Platforms, of the company comprises
of entire oil-to-chemicals business consisting of
refining, petrochemicals, fuel retail and aviation fuel
(majority interest only) and bulk wholesale marketing
(2800 degrees Centigrade) electric arc furnaces of
businesses together with its assets and liabilities."As a
Steel Industry. On the development, S M Vaidya,
Chairman IndianOil, said "This Needle Coker Unit is yet member of the O2C leadership we look forward to his
another significant step by IndianOil towards de-risking contribution in driving manufacturing excellence and
the uncertainty in the POL business. The proposed Unit transition towards making Reliance O2C a global
will enhance the Refinery Gross Margin and will also leader in energy and materials," Hital R Meswani,
demonstrate IndianOil's capability of supplying executive director, RIL, said in an organisation
indigenously licensed technology in the niche product announcement. Sanjiv will be working closely with
segments". Currently, the entire Needle Coke the undersigned and the O2C leadership team to
requirement of the country (80 -100 KTPA) is met assume responsibility for GMS areas in a phased
through imports. In its statement IOCL said, production manner over the next 3-4 months. Singh took over as
of Needle Coke at Paradip Refinery will reduce import chairman of IOCL in June 2017. A chemical engineer
dependency and would contribute to the vision of from IIT-Roorkee with a diploma in management, Singh
Atmanirbhar Bharat. IOCL highlights that needle coke joined the oil marketing company in 1981. At IOCL,
is a substitute for natural graphite and offers higher Singh spearheaded refinery operations, playing a key
quality consistency. With these technological role in the setting up, commissioning and stabilization
advancements, Needle Coke is now used to make the of two of IOCL's biggest greenfield refineries at Panipat
carbon anode of Lithium-ion Batteries" This Project can and Paradip. Singh had also implemented the
also be replicated, at other Indian Refineries that petrochemical projects of paraxylene/PTA and
process low-sulphur-feed in FCCU/RFCCU/INDMAX naphtha cracker with downstream units at Panipat
type of units as a GRM improvement initiative," IOCL refinery. Singh has completed only two months of
said. superannuation and has been appointed at RIL.

September 2020 30 Plastics News