While other States are struggling to meet the unprecedented demand for medical oxygen, the Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited (KMML) has been consistently supplying the life-saving gas for the last six months. The public sector undertaking’s recently commissioned oxygen plant with a capacity of 70 tonnes per day produces six to seven tonnes of medical grade oxygen every day to be used in hospitals.
Since its inauguration in October 2020, the KMML has supplied over 1,100 tonnes of liquid oxygen to various agencies at the instruction of Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO). “Since it is an essential healthcare commodity, we added a provision to produce 10% of medical oxygen when we designed the plant two years ago. But such demand was totally unanticipated,” says J. Chandrabose, managing director of the KMML.
Why it was set up
The ₹50-crore plant was commissioned to make the KMML self-reliant in production as it used to invest around ₹12 crore every year to buy oxygen from other manufacturers. While 90% of oxygen produced by the plant that purifies, liquefies and separates air into industrial gases, goes to its Titanium dioxide Pigment (TP) unit, the rest is used to produce medical oxygen. At present the KMML is supplying medical oxygen to three licensed agencies in Thiruvalla, Kochi, and Kozhikode through which it reaches various hospitals across the State.
In view of the current crisis, the KMML has slashed the price of its medical oxygen from a government-approved ₹11,750 a tonne to ₹10,000. “Reportedly, private companies in Kerala charge more than ₹30,000 when they sell medical oxygen to other States,” Mr. Chandrabose said.
From April 1
The KMML decided to cut the price from April 1 as the country is reeling under the deadlier second wave of COVID-19. “There has been a sustained demand for medical oxygen since we opened the plant. In April there was this intense wave and we reduced the rates to support the system and the public,” he adds.