Idco in talks with NEERI, EPTRI to prepare EIA for Odisha PCPIR

The PCPIR has been approved with a Viability Gap Funding of Rs 716 cr by Government of India

The Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco) is in talks with National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) and Environmental Protection Training and Research Institute (EPTRI) to prepare environment impact assessment (EIA) for the PCPIR (petroleum, chemicals and petrochemicals investment region) hub in the state.

Idco has already received proposal from Hyderabad-based EPTRI for comprehensive EIA. The preparation of Terms of Reference (ToR) and its approval is expected by September this year.

The Paradeep PCPIR is being developed on 284 sq km with processing area of 123 sq km at Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur districts. During the first phase (2010-20), 195.34 sq km of the hub will be developed in Jagatsinghpur district near the 15 million tonne refinery of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) being built at a cost of Rs 37,000 crore. In the second phase, to be implemented between 2020 and 2030, 88.80 sq km will be developed in Kendrapara district.

The PCPIR has been approved with a Viability Gap Funding (VGF) of Rs 716 crore by the Government of India. A special purpose vehicle called Paradeep Investment Region Development Ltd has been formed as a fully owned subsidiary of Idco to implement the project.

Idco is in the process of land acquisition for building support infrastructure and industrial corrider for the processing area of Phase-I. Out of 123 sq km needed for processing area in the two phases, 45 per cent of land is under the existing units.

Existing units within the PCPIR hub include the fertiliser units of Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd (Iffco) and Paradeep Phosphates Ltd (PPL) and a calcined petroleum coke making facility of Paradeep Carbon Ltd.

Industries on the pipeline are steel projects proposed by Posco India and Essar Steel, 0.365 million tonne per annum (mtpa) greenfield ammonium nitrate plant planned by Deepak Fertilisers Ltd and 0.22 mtpa calcined petroleum coke project by Kalinga Calciners Ltd.

The PCPIR is expected to draw investments of Rs 2.77 lakh crore. Petroleum and petrochemicals sector has the biggest share at Rs 234,000 crore followed by housing & allied infrastructure (Rs 23,100 crore), external infrastructure (Rs 13,634 crore), chemicals & fertilisers (Rs 3,500 crore) and ancillary sectors (Rs 3,500 crore).

The mega project is set to create employment for 648,000 people which includes direct employment for 227,000 people and indirect employment for 441,000 others. The turnover of this hub is estimated at Rs 4.23 lakh crore with an export potential of Rs 43,000 crore. The PCPIR is expected to generate taxes to the tune of Rs 42,000 crore and contribute six per cent to Odisha Gross Domestic Product (GDP).