"HPCL boosts output at Vizag refinery following the successful startup of a new residue upgradation unit."

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) has commissioned a residue upgradation facility (RUF) at its Visakhapatnam refinery, boosting the plant’s deep-conversion capability, distillate output and overall profitability, the company said recently.

The 3.55 million tonnes-per-year facility features India’s first residue hydrocracking unit and the world’s first LC-Max unit. Together, the units can convert around 93 per cent of low-value bottom-of-the-barrel oils into high-value petroleum products.

HPCL said the commissioning of the facility represents a significant milestone in enhancing India’s refining complexity and will help reduce the country’s dependence on imported fuels.