Union Ministers Lay Stone Of Common User Petroleum Facility In Odisha’s Dhenkanal

Dhenkanal: In order to reduce the transportation cost of petroleum products from Paradip to different parts of the state, a ‘Common User Facility’ will come up in the district.

Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri and Union Minister of Education & Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan laid the foundation stone of the project at Sadashibpur on Saturday.

The state of art and fully automated depot having storage capacity of about 42,000 KL has been planned for storing MS, HSD, ethanol and bio-diesel. The project’s approximate cost of Rs 395 crore will be shared by three oil marketing companies IOCL, BPCL and HPCL.

While BPCL will be the lead company for developing this facility, the Capex will be shared among participating companies based on mutually agreed formula.

The facility that will come up in 49.67 acre of land and will cater to the needs of central and north Odisha districts like Angul, Keonjhar and Dhenkanal. It is targeted to be completed by August 2023.

The project is expected to generate direct and indirect employment, business and economic growth of the area. It will generate employment of around two lakh mandays during the construction period.

Speaking on the occasion, Pradhan said, “The Common User Petroleum facility will reduce the transportation cost of petroleum materials in the regions of central and north Odisha and will be connected with railways line also. It has been conceptualised keeping in mind the industries like TATA Steel, NALCO, Jindal India Thermal Plant, NTPC. Due to this project, Dhenkanal district will also have small industries which will create employment generation for the local people.

Puri sent a video message on the occasion while Rameswar Teli, Union Minister of State for Petroleum & Natural Gas thanked oil industries and people of Dhenkanal for their support and efforts. He emphasised on the completion of the oil terminal project within the stipulated period.