The State’s High Level Committee of Odisha has cleared a Rs 78,225 crore investment proposal by Haldia Petrochemicals (HPL). The proposal is for hydrocarbon processing complex in Balasore.

The project, which comprises a light crude refinery, aromatic complex and ethylene crackers complex, is an enhanced investment commitment from HPL, whose initial proposal of Rs 28,700 crore was cleared in March 2019.

The project includes a 1.080 million tpa polyethlene unit, a 1.6 million tpa unit of paraxylene, and 1.25 million tpa of purified terepthalic acid (PTA). HPL will work with the state government to develop downstream units and an ecosystem in the region. It has been agreed to make adequate quantities of ethylene and propylene, and C4 streams such as Butene-1 and Butene-2 shall be made available for downstream units.

Common utilities such as steam, compressed air, industrial gasses, power etc will also be made available to downstream players. HPL has also promised to rope in a global oil and petrochemicals company as a strategic partner who will provide the feedstock supply security and be an equity partner.

The project cost of the Phase-I is pegged at Rs 52,900 crore, with Rs 15,886 crore as equity and Rs 37,014 crore in debt. Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (OIIDCO) has identified 2,391.82 acre of land in Balasore, near the upcoming Subarnarekha port that is being developed by Tata Steel