Construction Industry News
The Expert Appraisal Committee under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has recommended Environmental Clearance for the Rs 10,000 crore expansion and debottlenecking of Reliance Industries’s Hazira Manufacturing Division (HMD) in Gujarat.
Debottlenecking is the process of getting more production out of existing plants and equipment by improving processes or revamping equipment.
“The EAC, after detailed deliberations, recommended the project for grant of environmental clearance, subject to compliance of terms and conditions as under,” the EAC said.
The HMD complex of Mukesh Ambani’s RIL was commissioned in 1991-92 to manufacture monoethylene glycol, vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), poly vinyl chloride (PVC) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) along with utilities.
Subsequently in later years, the naphtha cracker, purified terepthalic acid and polypropylene plants were set up.
HMD plans to expand its production capacities of various crackers, Ethylene (C2), Propylene (C3), C4 products (such as LPG, Butadiene, Butene 1, MTBE/Isobutylene, Butanediol, HIPB).
“The estimated project cost is Rs 10,000 crore. Capital costs of EMP (Environmental Management Plan) would be Rs 790 crore and recurring costs for EMP, after the project, would be Rs 47 crore per year,” the minutes said.
The industry is proposing to allocate Rs one crore to comprehensive EMP (Corporate Environment Responsibility) for green belt development. Total employment after enlargement will be 750 people, both directly and indirectly.
The company will comply with all environmental protection measures and safeguards proposed in the documents submitted to the Ministry. All recommendations in the EIA/EMP related to environmental management and risk mitigation measures related to the project will be implemented, the EAC said in one of the conditions for the EC.
The panel also said the project proponent shall ensure 70% of the employment to the local people, as per the applicable law besides setting up a skill development centre/ provide skill development training to village people.
The company shall develop R&D facilities to develop its own technologies for propylene and polypropylene processing, it said.
