New Delhi, Jan 6 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the HPCL’s Residue Upgradation Facility (RUF) at the Visakh refinery in Andhra Pradesh adds momentum to our efforts towards boosting energy security.

In an X post, PM Modi said that the “state-of-the-art facility adds momentum to our efforts towards boosting energy security, thus becoming Aatmanirbhar in this sector”.

According to Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, Bharat’s journey toward achieving energy security has reached an important milestone with the successful commissioning of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited’s (HPCL) Residue Upgradation Facility at the Visakh Refinery in Andhra Pradesh.

Sharing the development on social media platform X earlier, Puri said the commissioning of the facility marks a decisive step toward a self-reliant India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

“Bharat’s journey toward achieving energy security has reached a milestone with the successful commissioning of HPCL’s Residue Upgradation Facility (RUF) at the Visakh Refinery,” Puri said on X.

“This critical infrastructure in Andhra Pradesh is a decisive leap toward Aatmanirbhar Bharat, under the visionary leadership of PM Narendra Modi and CM N Chandrababu Naidu,” he added.

With a capacity of 3.55 million metric tonnes per annum, the facility can achieve a conversion rate of around 93 per cent, helping maximise the use of every barrel of crude oil.

Naidu said in a separate X post that Andhra Pradesh anchors another major milestone for Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

“As part of the three-stage Visakh Refinery Modernisation Project (VRMP), the refinery now hosts a new Residue Upgradation Facility featuring three of the heaviest reactors in the world. This upgrade will help meet regional fuel needs and boost socio-economic growth,” he mentioned.

“I sincerely thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his vision in strengthening Visakh Refinery to support the nation’s energy security. With this, the East Coast also emerges as a world-class refining hub,” he added.

—IANS

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