Green Signal for BPCL's ₹1.03 Lakh Crore Refinery in Andhra Pradesh

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has granted Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL) permission to draft the Terms of Reference (ToR) for its proposed 9 MTPA greenfield Refinery and Petrochemical Complex at Chevuru Village, Gudlur Mandal, in Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh.

Estimated at ₹1.03 trillion, the project is scheduled for completion in 42 months. During construction, it is expected to generate employment for approximately 3,400 people (400 permanent and 3,000 temporary), and during operations, around 3,750 jobs (1,250 permanent and 2,500 temporary).

The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) reviewed BPCL’s submission and found it satisfactory, recommending specific ToRs and mandating a public hearing as part of the environmental clearance process.

The project will require 2,109.62 hectares of land, of which 703.34 hectares (33.3%) will be reserved for greenbelt development. Power requirements are estimated at 600 MW, with 100 MW to be supplied by an on-site captive plant and the remaining sourced from the State Grid. While there are no protected wildlife areas within a 10 km radius, the site is located in close proximity to the Bay of Bengal (3 km to the east) and the Buckingham Canal (50 metres to the east).

News by Rahul Yelligetti.