The first parcel of Normal Butanol produced in the new propylene derivatives petrochemical complex of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd at Kochi Refinery was virtually flagged off by Arun Kumar Singh, Director (Marketing), BPCL-Kochi Refinery.
Normal Butanol is one of the six major niche petrochemicals being produced and marketed in ‘world scale economic size capacity’ for the first time in the country by BPCL.
The first parcels of Normal Butanol was transported in ISO containers to KLG Plasticizers (Silvassa) and Rachna Plasticizers (Silvassa) and in tank lorry to Visen Industries, Chennai. The product finds application in plasticizers, textile manufacture, impact modifiers for rigid PVC, amino resins and butyl amines.
The annual consumption of Normal Butanol, predominantly by Plasticisers and Automotive Paint manufacturers is 60-65,000 tonnes annually in India, which was mostly imported till now. Kochi Refinery is equipped to produce 38,000 tonnes annually, substituting the import of Normal Butanol.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi had dedicated the propylene derivatives petrochemical complex at Kochi Refinery in February. Capital cost for setting up the complex was approximately ₹6,000 crore. Design capacity of the complex is 1,80,000 tonnes Butyl Acrylate, 10,000 tonnes 2 Ethyl Hexyl Acrylate, 47,000 tonnes Acrylic Acid, 47,000 tonnes 2 Ethyl Hexanol and 38,000 tonnes Normal Butanol.
Normal Butanol is produced in the new Oxo Alcohol Unit which is the second and the largest unit in the country.