Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the inauguration and foundation stone laying ceremony of various projets in Kochi, Kerala on February 14, 2021. Pic: PIB
Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday dedicated to the nation a ₹6,000 crore petrochemical complex of state-owned Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) in Kochi and Ro-Ro vessels of Inland Waterways at Willingdon Islands. The new complex will save foreign exchange, benefit a wide range of industries and generate employment, Modi, who was on a brief visit to Kerala, said.
The complex will lead the government's mission to be 'Aatma Nirbhar', he was quoted as saying by media reports.
The prime minister also inaugurated the Cochin Port Trust's International Cruise Terminal and Cochin Shipyard's Vigyana Sagar, a campus for Marine Engineering Training Institute, and laid the foundation stone of Cochin Port Trust's South Coal Berth.
BPCL said the Propylene Derivative Petrochemical Project (PDPP) located close to its Kochi Refinery will produce acrylic acid, oxo-alcohol and acrylates, which are predominantly imported now. These products have applications in paints and coatings, solvents, adhesives, water treatment chemicals, construction industry and super absorbent polymer among others.
The project, which will produce 160,000 t/yr of acrylic acid and 212,000 t/yr of oxy alcohols and acrylates, was scheduled to start in October 2019 but was delayed.
The two new Roll-on/Roll-off vessels, deployed between Bolgatty and Willingdon Island on National Waterway-3, will have the capacity to carry six 20-feet trucks, three 20-feet trailer trucks, three 40-feet trailer trucks and 30 passengers each.
The service, operated by Inland Waterways Authority, will benefit trade as a result of reduced transportation cost and transit time, and will also lead to reduced congestion on the roads of Kochi.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday dedicated to the nation a ₹6,000 crore petrochemical complex of state-owned Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) in Kochi and Ro-Ro vessels of Inland Waterways at Willingdon Islands. The new complex will save foreign exchange, benefit a wide range of industries and generate employment, Modi said on a visit to Kerala.