Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described the commissioning of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited’s Residue Upgradation Facility at the Visakh Refinery in Andhra Pradesh as a major step towards strengthening India’s energy security and advancing the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
In a message shared on social media, the Prime Minister said the state-of-the-art facility adds fresh momentum to India’s efforts to become self-reliant in the energy sector. The project enhances the country’s ability to maximise output from crude oil while reducing dependence on external energy sources.
Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said the successful commissioning of the facility marks a key milestone in India’s long-term energy strategy. He noted that the new infrastructure represents a decisive leap towards achieving energy security through advanced refining capabilities.
The Residue Upgradation Facility at the Visakh Refinery has a processing capacity of 3.55 million metric tonnes per annum and can achieve a conversion rate of nearly 93 per cent. This allows HPCL to extract greater value from every barrel of crude oil, improving efficiency while supporting fuel availability across the region.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu highlighted the broader economic impact of the project, describing it as another significant contribution by the state to the national goal of self-reliance. As part of the three-stage Visakh Refinery Modernisation Project, the upgrade includes some of the heaviest reactors in the world and is expected to support regional fuel demand while driving socio-economic growth.
The expansion strengthens the East Coast’s emergence as a world-class refining hub and reinforces India’s refining and energy infrastructure. With rising domestic demand and evolving global energy dynamics, the commissioning of the facility underscores India’s commitment to building resilient, efficient, and self-sustaining energy systems for the future.
