The Visakha refinery of HPCL has stepped up safety measures and has so far completed 3.2 million man-hours of safe operations, according to a press release.

In the refinery, mounded storage of LPG is commissioned, which is much safer than overground storage. It has a blast-proof control room, water flooding system, hydrocarbon detectors, safety interlocks, safety valves with discharge to flare and automatic water deluge system. Seven mounded storage bullets have been commissioned at a cost of Rs 125 crore.

A large number of (2,800) fire and gas detectors have been installed and adequate fire-fighting equipment has been kept ready. The employees in the refinery have been imparted training in using the equipment and to respond properly in the event of an accident. Safe work practices have been developed for different processes and safety audits are being conducted by internal as well as external agencies.

The refinery, with a capacity of 8.3 mmtpa of crude throughput, has executed the clean fuels project at a cost of Rs 2,205 crore, to supply quality MS petrol meeting the Euro-3 and Euro-4 specifications. The refinery has also commissioned a single point mooring facility earlier this year at the port to receive crude from very-large crude carriers, resulting in substantial savings in freight.

Visakha refinery is one of the few who have commissioned bitumen coastal loading facilities, adds the press release. It enables the refinery to move bitumen in bulk to different parts of the country and abroad.

The refinery is also adopting various energy-saving measures and taking up environmental conservation projects on a large scale.

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