Watch | Massive Hydrotreating reactor begins 3,000 km journey from Gujarat to Assam's Numaligarh Refinery

A 32-metre-long Vacuum Gas Oil (VGO) Hydrotreating Reactor has begun its journey from Gujarat to the Numaligarh Refinery in Assam, covering a distance of approximately 3,000 kilometres.

 

This equipment is part of the refinery's expansion plans aimed at increasing its processing capabilities.

 

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri mentioned the reactor's transport in a tweet on August 20, linking it to India's efforts to boost domestic energy production.

 

The current shipment follows a period of significant logistical challenges earlier this year. In May, four cargo vessels carrying machinery for the refinery were stranded in the Brahmaputra River for two months due to low water levels in the Dhansiri River. The vessels, which had departed from Kolkata, were forced to stop at Shilghat in Kaliabor.

 

To address the issue, authorities implemented a plan to excavate the Dhansiri riverbed, enabling the transfer of machinery from the stranded vessels to the refinery. Officials at Shilghat coordinated efforts to facilitate the transfer process.

 

The resolution of these earlier complications has allowed for the continuation of equipment delivery to the Numaligarh Refinery.