West Coast refinery could get a new home as demand for such plants revives

Renewed interest in adding refinery capacity in India owes to the long-term decline of the business in Europe; and in the short-run, the Ukraine war has been a key driver

The colossal refinery project in Maharashtra has got new backers. After a dispute over land acquisition since 2018 has stalled progress on the 60 million metric tonnes per annum (mmtpa) West Coast Refinery, competing proposals have now come to the petroleum and natural gas ministry from Nagpur, apart from the one at Raigad, near Mumbai. 

The proposal to locate the plant at Nagpur, far from the coast but almost at the centre of India’s rail network “makes little sense”, said a top government official. The backers for the move include segments within the BJP. Both former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra