MRPL to commission seawater desalination plant in India

Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) has plans to commission its seawater desalination plant, which will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs6.2bn ($80m), in the financial year of 2020-21.

MRPL managing director M Venkatesh stated that some its units had to be shutdown in this summer as a result of water scarcity.

MRPL shut down two of its three units  in Chennai this summer.

To tackle this issue, MRPL is establishing a seawater desalination plant to ensure uninterrupted water supply for its refinery.

Chennai-based VA Tech Wabag Limited has secured the contract to build the plant. It will also operate and maintain the plant for ten years.

In April, the project secured environment clearance from Union Environment Ministry.

This project will enable MRPL to secure continuous supply of petroleum products even during water shortage period.

Carrying a capacity of seven million gallons a day, the facility is likely to be commissioned in the third quarter of 2020-21.

Meanwhile, MRPL is also exploring temporary desalination solutions for the summer of 2020.

The company currently uses around three million gallons a day of treated municipal sewage and is aiming to increase the consumption further.

These measures are expected to help reduce the company’s dependence on freshwater.

The company worked with other PSU oil companies to ensure uninterrupted supply of petroleum products during the water scarcity period.

MRPL had reported a turnover of Rs72bn ($926m) and profit after tax of Rs3.32bn ($43m) in the year 2018-19.