Success story: Assam-based BCPL earns operating profit in two years

THIS is a gem of a success for any PSU and at a time when quite a number of state-run entities are struggling to stay afloat, the Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL) has started earning operating profit within just two years of operation. The state PSU is touching two lakh tonne production this financial year, BCPL Managing Director Ashok Kumar Singh told a local daily.
Referring to international trends, Singh said that...
normally for a petrochemical complex, to reach this level in the initial years of operation was an achievement of sorts.
“Our product is sold all across India. It is well accepted in the market, both quality and specification wise. As far as our production is concerned, there is no issue. This financial year, the profit can be said to be around Rs 100 crore. At this moment, we are exploring the possibility of exporting it to Bangladesh, Myanmar and other nearby countries,” he said.
Singh said the BCPL was working towards a strategy to ensure that products are largely consumed in the region. “Regardless of the fact that consumption of the product in the Northeast has gone up from 200 to 2,600 tonnes in a year’s time, we are still trying to grow it further. Two years back, there were only about 170 plastic manufacturers in the Northeast but today it has grown to 230. This proves that there is growth and people are becoming confident.
In so far as the polypropylene market is concerned, 70 per cent is supplied in the northeast. The market in the region is yet to pick up, since people are still using recycled products because it is cheaper.
“We are trying to convince them to buy our product. We are open to help potential entrepreneurs but the initiative must come from the locals. Our marketing team (GAIL India Limited) is also engaged in convincing local entrepreneurs of the region,” Singh said.
“As per feasibility, the petrochemical plant was supposed to operate at 80 per cent in the first year, 90 per cent in the second period and 100 per cent ought to be achieved in the third year. But things are in place now and at the moment, we have exceeded 100 per cent potential,” he said.
Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL) was incorporated on January 8, 2007 as a Central Public Sector Enterprise under the under the Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals, Govt. of India. GAIL (India) Limited is the main promoter having 70 percent of equity participation and the rest 30 percent is equally shared by Oil India Ltd (OIL), Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) and Government of Assam. The plant was successfully commissioned on January 2, 2016 and Prime Minister, Narendra Modi dedicated BCPL Petrochemical Complex to the Nation on Feb 5, 2016.
BCPL comprises four work stations i.e. GDU Duliajan where Feed Natural Gas is received from M/s. Oil India Limited, Railway Siding where Naphtha received from M/s. NRL is unloaded, Lakwa GSU Cum C2+ Hydro Carbon Recovery Unit where Feed Natural Gas supplied by M/s. ONGC is processed and The Main Petrochemical Complex at Lepetkata, Dibrugarh where Polymers are being produced after processing the feed stocks.
The principal end products of the complex are High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) totalling 2, 20,000 Tonnes per Annum (TPA) and 60,000 TPA of Poly-Propylene (PP). The other products include Hydrogenated Pyrolysis Gasoline and Pyrolysis Fuel Oil.
The cracker unit is based on the technology licensed by Lummus, USA. The unit is designed to produce 2, 20,000 TPA of polymer grade Ethylene and 60,000 TPA of polymer grade of Propylene.