The environment ministry has accorded Kochi refinery of Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) with environment clearance for the company’s auto fuel BS-VI upgradation and new MS block project.

The BS-VI project will require seven acre of land and the estimated cost of the project is Rs 3,313 crore.

The company’s Kochi refinery is presently executing the Integrated Refinery Expansion Project (IREP) which will improve the refinery capacity to 15.5 million tonne per annum from 9.5 million tonne per annum, and will also upgrade auto fuel quality as per BS-IV and part BS-V norms.

As per Auto Fuel Policy 2025, the government has directed conditions for complete transition to Bharat Stage (BS)-VI auto fuel by April 2020.

The company has been directed that its water requirement from Periyar river after the implementation of IREP and BS-VI project must not surpass 1,372.2 cu mtr per hour and it is also required to obtain prior permission from the competent authority.

BPCL has been asked to strictly follow the stipulations made by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) and any other statutory authority. The company has been asked to decide locations of ambient air quality monitoring stations in consultation with KSPCB and to make sure at least one station is installed in the upwind and downwind direction.

BPCL has been ordered to develop a separate environment management cell along with full-fledged laboratory facilities to conduct the environment management and monitoring functions.

The company’s post IREP will be able to manufacture BS-IV quality MS and diesel along with partial production of BS-V products, and will need additional facilities to achieve BS-VI quality specifications for MS.

The company aims to maximise and improve MS and diesel processing capabilities to meet BS-VI fuel specifications by 1 April, 2020.