BHEL delay defers Bina refinery commissioning by 6 months

The 113.97 billion rupee (US$2.5 billion) Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd. (BPCL) Bina refinery in Madhya Pradesh is facing a six-month delay in commissioning as Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd., which was to set up the 99 megawatt captive power plant for the project, failed to do so. “The refinery has achieved mechanical completion. But the commissioning will begin in the first week of April and be completed by June,” said Ashok Sinha, chairman of Bharat Oman Refineries Ltd., which is setting up the six metric ton per year refinery project. Bharat Oman is a joint venture between Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd. and Oman Oil Co. The refinery is likely to begin petroleum product sales by September, a senior company official said. (January 14, 2010)