Commissioning of HPCL’s Residue Upgradation Facility at Visakh Refinery

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, on 6 January, lauded the successful commissioning of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited’s (HPCL) Residue Upgradation Facility (RUF) at the Visakh Refinery in Andhra Pradesh, calling it a decisive leap towards India’s energy security and self-reliance.

Aligned with Aatmanirbhar Bharat Vision
The Prime Minister said the state-of-the-art facility strengthens India’s efforts to achieve energy independence, in line with the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, by maximising value extraction from crude oil and reducing import dependence.

First-of-its-Kind Facility in India
The RUF at Visakh Refinery is India’s first LC-Max based residue hydrocracking facility. It represents an unprecedented engineering scale, housing three of the world’s heaviest LC-Max reactors, each weighing around 2,200 metric tonnes.

Advanced Technology and High Conversion
With a capacity of 3.55 Million Metric Tonnes Per Annum (MMTPA), the facility uses advanced LC-Max residue hydrocracking technology, achieving nearly 93% conversion of bottom oils into high-value products such as diesel and gasoline.

Enhanced Refinery Output
Post commissioning, the Visakh Refinery will be able to increase its distillate yield by up to 10% compared to pre–Visakh Refinery Modernization Project (VRMP) levels, significantly improving overall refinery efficiency.

Digital and AI-Driven Operations
HPCL has also deployed the RUF (LC-Max) Digital Suite, an industry-first for Indian refineries. The suite integrates real-time monitoring, predictive analytics based on proprietary thermodynamic models, and AI-driven optimisation, ensuring stable, efficient and optimised operations.

About Hydrocracking
Hydrocracking is a catalytic petroleum refining process that converts heavy hydrocarbon feedstocks into more valuable lighter products like gasoline and diesel, playing a critical role in modern refining and energy efficiency.