June 2021
Inside The Issue
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Editor-in-Chief: Subodh Dakwale
Editor: MVL Manikantan
Refineries HO: Sabeena Chowdhary
Pipelines HO: Divya Tunkalia
Marketing HO: Anubhooti Panda
Northern Region: Dharmendra Singh
Eastern Region: Arup Das
Western Region: Anjali Bhave
Southern Region: R Chidambaram
Haldia Refinery: Sarbari Jana
Mathura Refinery: Renu Pathak
Panipat Refinery: RL Midha
Bongaigaon Refinery: Nilakshi Konwar
Paradip Refinery: Soudamini Sethi
Digboi Refinery: Priyam Medhi
Edited & Published by Executive Director I/C (Corporate
Communications & Branding) on behalf of
Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. G-9, Ali Yavar Jung Marg, Bandra
(East), Mumbai-400 051.
Website: www.iocl.com
Petrol by 2025
.............................................................................
2
A Chance for Tomorrow
..................................................................5
Jal hi Jeevan – A Clean Water Initiative
...............................19
The Butterfly Effect
..........................................................................20
Climate Change: ‘It is time we walk the talk’ ..................
21
Innerscape
..........................................................................................32
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The ongoing wave of COVID-19 is certainly showing signs of abating,
and I hope and pray that the situation only gets better from
hereon. No matter
how much the curbs are relaxed, we must still follow all the safety
and hygiene protocols religiously and not venture into crowded
places unless direly needed.
The world is taking cognizance of climate change more than ever
before and efforts are underway in many countries to make optimum
use of available resources, reuse, and recycle, and opt for clean
energy as much as possible. It was with this spirit that World
Environment Day was celebrated on June 5, and leaders of countries
as well as corporates across the globe reaffirmed their commitment
towards the preservation of Mother Nature. The theme for the event
this year Reimagine. Recreate. Restore is quite synonymous with the
initiatives being undertaken at IndianOil — unprecedented foray
into renewable energy, converting used cooking oil to biodiesel,
production of grain-based ethanol — apart from the numerous
sustainability initiatives that are already under progress at its
various sites.
The Cover Story is replete with facts and figures on how the
Corporation is contributing its humble bit to creating a better
tomorrow for everybody. This is complemented by stories in the
Spotlight section that range from how IndianOil helped bring
potable water to remote regions of Tamil Nadu and West Bengal to
the importance of butterflies in the ecosystem to changing our
lifestyle in the interest of nature.
Catch the latest happenings in the Corporation in the Innerscape
section including the Annual MoU Awards 2020-21, presented online
in a glitzy ceremony.
The All in the Family section features coverage of SERPL,
Bhubaneswar’s initiative where IOCians devised ways to include
interactive activities in children’s routine in a bid to improve
their mental health.
We hope you enjoy this month’s edition, also available as a
flipbook. Thank you for participating in the Quiz in huge numbers.
Do spread the word among your fellow IOCians and they too stand a
chance to win vouchers worth `1,000!
I would also like to inform you that this issue will be my last as
Editor-in-Chief. Over the last few years, we have strived to make
the magazine more reader-friendly, brought out more features on
varied topics, pushed digital presence, and made it inclusive not
just for IOCians but also their family members. I thank you for all
the support and appreciation bestowed on this magazine which has
chronicled the growth of our Corporation.
As I sign off and move to my second innings, I pray the future be
healthy and prosperous for you and your families.
Goodbye!
2 | IndianOil NEWS | June 2021
Prime Minister Narendra Modi: Ethanol has emerged as one of the
priorities of 21st century India
The Green Mile: 20% Ethanol- Blended Petrol by 2025
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the World Environment Day
event, jointly organised by the
Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas and the Ministry of
Environment, Forest and Climate Change on June 5, 2021 through a
video conference. Union Cabinet Ministers, Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Mr.
Narendra Singh Tomar, Mr. Prakash Javadekar, Mr. Piyush Goyal, and
Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan were also present on the occasion.
The Prime Minister released the ‘Report of the Expert Committee on
Road Map for ethanol blending in India 2020-2025’ and also launched
the ambitious E-100 pilot project in Pune for the production and
distribution of ethanol across the country. The Prime Minister also
interacted with a farmer from Pune who shared his experience of
organic farming and use of biofuel in agriculture. The theme for
this year’s World Environment Day event is ‘Promotion of biofuels
for a better environment’.
The Prime Minister said that ethanol has emerged as one of the
priorities of 21st century India as it positively impacts the
environment and rural economy. He underlined the Government of
India’s resolve to meet the target of 20% ethanol blending in
petrol by 2025 against the original target of 2030.
“Till 2014, on an average, only 1.5% of ethanol could be blended in
India, but now it has gone up to 8.5%. This increase in ethanol
procurement has immensely benefitted the sugarcane farmers of the
country,” noted Mr. Modi. He pointed out that while most of the
ethanol manufacturing units are concentrated in four-five states
where sugar production is high, food grain-based distilleries are
being established across the whole country to expand this
movement.
The Prime Minister said that India is a strong proponent of climate
justice and is moving ahead with ideas such as the founding of the
International Solar Alliance for realising the vision of One Sun,
One World, One Grid and the
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the E-100 pilot project in
Pune for production and distribution of ethanol across the country
on the occasion of World Environment Day.
IndianOil NEWS | June 2021 | 3
Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure initiative. Mr.
Modi elaborated on the nation’s fight against
climate change. He noted that India is among the top 10 countries
of the world in the Climate Change Performance Index. “Economy and
ecology can go together. This is the path that India has chosen.
India is also aware of the challenges that are being faced due to
climate change and is also working actively,” reassured Mr.
Modi.
On a bright note, India’s capacity for renewable energy has
increased by more than 250% in the last six to seven years. Today,
India is among the top five countries of the world in terms of
installed renewable energy capacity. The capacity of solar energy
has increased by about 15 times in the last six years; giving away
37 crore LED bulbs and more than 23 lakh energy efficient fans,
providing free electricity and cooking gas connections to cut
household pollution has helped the cause. The Prime Minister said,
“The common man of the country has led the pro-environment campaign
through missions such as avoiding single-use plastic, beach
cleaning, and Swachh Bharat.”
The Prime Minister said clean and efficient energy systems,
resilient urban infrastructure, and planned eco- restoration are a
very important part of the Aatmanirbhar
The event saw the participation of Cabinet Ministers and senior PSU
officials.
Bharat campaign. Referring to the economic plus sides of these
efforts, new investment opportunities meant there are also job
opportunities for the youth. “India is working with a holistic
approach through the National Clean Air Plan to curb air
pollution,” he noted.
The Prime Minister announced that the Government has identified 11
sectors that can make good use of resources by recycling them
through modern technology. “We will be able to give a safe
environment to our coming generations only when every citizen of
the country makes a united effort to maintain the balance of water,
air, and land,” he concluded.
Economy and ecology can go together. This is
the path that India has chosen. India is also
aware of the challenges that are being faced due
to climate change and is also working actively
— Narendra Modi, Prime Minister
LeaderSpeak
The pandemic has triggered a few positive social changes too. The
urgent need to restore the ecological balance of the planet has
been a key realisation brought in by the pandemic.
The theme for this year’s World Environment Day — Ecosystem
Restoration — amplifies the global concern for the fast degrading
ecosystem and the need for firm action to reset our relationship
with Mother Earth. The celebrations this year will also launch the
‘UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration’.
Ecosystem restoration can take many forms, such as growing trees,
green cities, changing diets, cleaning up rivers and coasts, and
adopting a sustainable lifestyle. To this end, we are witnessing
concerted efforts, and the current decade is set to accelerate
existing global restoration goals. For example, at the UNFCC
Conference of the Parties (COP) 2015 in Paris, India had joined the
voluntary Bonn Challenge and pledged to restore about 21 million
hectares of degraded and deforested land by 2030.
Talking of IndianOil, our environmental stewardship philosophy is
reflected in the firm mandate to ensure safe operations at our
refineries and installations, strict adherence to the SOPs &
environmental norms, and enriching the lives of the communities and
stakeholders.
As a global corporate citizen that deeply embraces nature,
IndianOil and its R&D Centre have been at the forefront to
catalyse the corporate journey to reduce its carbon footprint. This
metamorphosis has been laid on the foundation of extensively
researched, meticulously designed, and robustly validated
technologies and products to provide the much-needed engineering
prowess and firm-footing to IndianOil towards approaching the Net
Zero emissions goal.
Moving forward, the decarbonisation strategies of IndianOil would
be based on the pillars of energy efficiency, alternative fuels and
energy sources, and CO
2 capture and
the existing fleet of vehicles, thereby lowering carbon
emissions.
—Dr. SSV Ramakumar, Director (R&D)
—Shrikant Madhav Vaidya, Chairman
“Decarbonisation strategies of IndianOil would be based on the
pillars of energy efficiency”
“The current decade is set to accelerate existing global
restoration goals”
IndianOil NEWS | June 2021 | 5
Like every year, since 1974, World Environment Day 2021 was
celebrated this year with much zeal and enthusiasm. The slogan
Reimagine. Recreate. Restore. reverberated across the world and
many pledges and pacts were made to work towards restoring the
environment in order to create a better future for the planet
A Chance for Tomorrow
June 5, 2021 marked a special day for Earth. For one, it commenced
the beginning of the United Nations
Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. This year’s theme, Ecosystem
Restoration, is a bid to halt and reverse the deterioration of
environmental ecosystems worldwide. This initiative calls everyone
— governments, corporations, and
citizens — to do their part in healing our ailing planet. It
involves restoring forests, farmlands, cities, wetlands, and
oceans, which is crucial to the survival of life on the
planet.
The last few years have seen a rise in hostile incidents, many of
which are consequences of human activities. The recent bushfires in
Brazil, the United States, and Australia, the
The Big Picture Every
3 seconds the world loses enough forest to cover a football
pitch
of the world’s wastewater is discharged
to oceans and rivers without treatment
80% 87%
Wetlands are being drained for agriculture, with some
300 years Source: https://www.un.org
6 | IndianOil NEWS | June 2021
swarms of locusts ravaging crops in the Horn of Africa and Asia,
heavy flash floods across India, the destruction of coral reefs in
Australia, and extinction of species of plants and animals, coupled
with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic highlight that the theme for the
year is relevant than ever.
Sure, the task at hand is colossal, and restoration needs to be
accelerated. There are trees to be planted, forests and wildlife to
be protected, rivers and oceans to be cleaned, ice caps to be saved
from melting, pollutants to be prevented from entering the sea and
the atmosphere…the list goes on. However, if it’s any consolation,
India is already ahead of the curve. The country has been working
towards staying true to its commitment as per the Paris Agreement
and a slew of environment-friendly initiatives are being run across
the country.
On the occasion of World Environment Day, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi said that India has advanced the target date for
achieving 20% ethanol-blending in petrol from 2030 to 2025 as it
looks to cut carbon emissions and reduce reliance on foreign oil.
India’s tree and forest cover increased by 5,188 sq km in 2019,
according to the India State of Forest Report 2019.
IndianOil, too, has been at the forefront in energy conservation,
renewable energy, and switching to green fuels. In September 2020,
IndianOil launched India’s first H-CNG Plant, with an H-CNG
dispensing station up and running in New Delhi. IndianOil R&D
is scaling up hydrogen and fuel-cell research. IndianOil is also in
the process of setting up 1 MTPD pilot plants based on four
innovative hydrogen production technologies.
When it comes to saving the planet every little and big deed adds
to save ourselves, and the environment for a better tomorrow.
Renewable Energy Until March 2021, IndianOil solarised 18,336
retail outlets with a cumulative solar power installed capacity of
~102.4 MW. Solar Photo Voltaic (PV) capacity of ~9.6 MW has been
added during FY 2020- 21 in Retail Outlets.
Currently, IndianOil has a portfolio of 232.65 MW of renewable
energy including 167.6 MW of wind capacity and 65.05 MW of solar PV
capacity. The solar capacity includes, 23.6 MW of grid connected
solar PV projects and 41.4 MW of off-grid capacity. During FY
2020-21, solar PV capacity of 6.23 MW has been added which include
2 MW at Madanpur Khadar; 1.88 MW at Paradip Refinery; and 0.64 MW
at Mathura Refinery.
The total generation from these projects during April ’20 - March
’21 was 329.46 GWh which resulted in emission mitigation of 273.45
tonnes of carbon- dioxide equivalent. The total renewable energy
generated forms about 5% of the total electricity consumption of
the Corporation.
Used Cooking Oil (UCO) to Biodiesel Rapidly biodegradable and
completely non-toxic, biodiesel is an alternative fuel similar to
conventional or ‘fossil’ diesel. It can be produced from vegetable
oil, animal fats, tallow, and waste cooking oil. As of
April 31, 2021, IndianOil has received 26 offers from the
entrepreneurs for producing bio-diesel from UCO with annual
cumulative capacity of ~263 TKL. The Letter of Intent for 23 plants
has been issued by IndianOil with annual cumulative capacity of
~229 TKL of biodiesel from UCO. IndianOil has received 71KL of
UCO-biodiesel at its Tikrikalan terminal in New Delhi in FY
2020-21.
Grain-based Ethanol This project aims to convert the surplus rice
stocks across the country available with the Food Corporation of
India (FCI) to ethanol. IndianOil is planning to set up 1G Ethanol
bio-refineries each with a capacity of 500 KLPD in Chhattisgarh,
Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. Similarly, IndianOil is
poised to set up a 2G Ethanol Plant at Panipat at an estimated
gross cost of approximately `909 crore. Paddy straw is identified
as the major feedstock for this project.
Sustainable Development at IndianOil Carbon and water footprinting
for all IndianOil locations and installations have been carried out
for the first time. For 2019-20, the carbon footprint was 19.54 mmt
of carbon dioxide equivalent (TMTCO
2 e) and
freshwater footprint was 98.2 billion litres. • 32 events were made
carbon neutral by planting more than 2,202 trees in 2020-21.
IndianOil’s Green Initiatives
IndianOil NEWS | June 2021 | 7
5 Lifestyle Changes to Help the Environment Here’s how you can swap
your everyday essentials with eco-friendly versions. These are not
just easy on the pockets, but also environment-friendly
Compostable tableware: Get rid of plastic crockery that takes
hundreds of years to decompose. Using biodegradable tableware can
go a long way in saving the environment.
Bamboo toothbrush: Start small. Replace that plastic toothbrush
with a bamboo one. Make sure that the bamboo used is organically
grown and retains its natural antibacterial properties.
Compostable garbage bags: These are commonly available and cost
only a little more than their polythene counterpart. This
investment is not just worthwhile but highly essential.
Biodegradable sanitary pads: Sanitary napkins are one of the most
common components clogging the country’s drains and landfills.
Biodegradable sanitary pads are a great alternative and will help
ease up India’s sewage system.
Eco-friendly straws: Yes, those plastic straws are a menace and you
do not want to add to the mess. Opt for recyclable and reusable
options such as paper/bamboo or steel straws.
Giving Impetus to Waste to Energy
Compressed biogas A New Revolution in Transportation Fuel
5,000 CBG plants by 2024
$20 billion total investment
15 mmt CBG production
Cover Story
Strengthening Natural Gas Infrastructure Making India a gas-based
economy
Ensuring Universal Access To Clean Cooking Fuel Paradigm shift
towards a clean and sustainable energy future
Geographical Areas
938
3101
The Government of India is working on mission-mode to provide
access to clean cooking fuel to every household in the
country.
Remarkable surge in LPG penetration
8.01 crore LPG connections issued to
beneficiary households under PMUY
announced under Union Budget 2021
2021: 99.6%2014: 55%
FiIip to deployment of alternative fuels, such as ethanol and
biodiesel
plying on H-CNG
Hydrogen initiated
hydrogen as fuel
Syngas and other environment- friendly and efficient forms of
energy are being
developed through clean
air batteries
India has advanced the target of 20% blending of ethanol in petrol
by 2025,
from 2030
India is targeting 5% blending of bio diesel in diesel by 2030,
including by
conversion of used cooking
energy portfolio
in the last six years
India is preparing for massive electrification of the
transport
sector
to energy transition is reflective from the establishment of
International Solar Alliance,
which aims at mobilising more than a trillion dollar investment
globally by 2030 for the deployment of solar energy
India achieved 100% electrification of households in the
country
India is well on track to achieve 450 GW target of
renewable energy generating
capacity by 2030
Increasing Share Of
driven by 2030
The Value of Ecosystems
1/3rdof the mitigation needed by 2030 to keep global warming below
2°C can be achieved through restoration and other natural
solutions
15% of converted lands, if restored in the right places, could
prevent 60% of projected species extinctions
50% of the world’s GDP is dependent on nature and every dollar
invested in restoration creates up to $30 in economic
benefits
2 billion (least estimate) people depend on the agricultural sector
for their livelihoods, particularly underprivileged and rural
populations
1/3rd of the world’s largest cities get their drinking water
through forests. Forests also support 80% of all amphibians, 75% of
all birds, and 68% mammal species
30% of global soil carbon is stored by peatlands
17 of UN’s Sustainable Development Goals can be achieved by their
2030 target date through the contributions of ecosystem
restoration
0.5°C to 2.0°C reduction of summer maximum air temperature occurs
due to street trees, benefiting at least 68 million people
Cover Story
12 | IndianOil NEWS | June 2021
Impact Of Degradation On Human Well-Being $10 trillion in global
GDP could be lost by 2050 if
ecosystem services continue to decline
Ecosystem Degradation
10 million hectares of forests are being lost around the world
every year
$6 trillion a year in lost food production
and other ecosystem services occurs due to soil erosion and other
forms of degradation
30% of natural freshwater ecosystems have disappeared since
1970
$9 trillion in net benefits can be created by meeting the Bonn
Challenge goal of
restoring 350 million hectares of degraded and deforested
lands around the world
$2.5 billion–$2.6 billion in additional ecosystem service
benefits per year can be attained through restoring coral reefs in
Mesoamerica
and Indonesia
costs could be saved through restoration of forests and other
watershed ecosystems
Sustainable Travel Guide
Reduce Food and Plastic Waste: Single-use plastic bottles are the
culprit here. Reduce the waste generated by bringing your own
flasks instead of opting for sealed water bottles at every
stop.
Vocal For Local: Buying or eating the local produce encourages
small businesses. What other way to know a city better than eating
food whipped up by local chefs? This applies to buying local goods
as well.
Keep a Tote Bag Handy: If you’re going to travel, chances are that
you’re going to shop. Politely decline plastic bags and use your
cloth tote bag when you’re out and about.
Stop Changing Towels/Linen: If you do not practise this at home,
chances are you do not need bedsheets and towels daily. When it
comes to doing your bit for the environment, using the same towel
and linen throughout your stay is an easy choice. This means saving
up on water and energy. Big win!
Support Local Busins
14 | IndianOil NEWS | June 2021
The disruptive impact of natural catastrophes such as earthquakes,
floods, landslides, and cyclones means people lose their lives, or
are displaced from their homes in a bid to escape the disaster.
However, we can mitigate disasters if we are more mindful of our
actions. Here are a few tips… By KK Sharma, ED (Sustainable
Development), Mktg. Div. HO
Since 1780, average global temperature has increased by about
0.9°C. Oceans have warmed, ice
caps have been melting faster than ever, and sea level has risen.
Since 1901, average sea level rise is about 19 cm due to global
warming. The Arctic Ocean ice extent has shrunken in every
successive decade since 1979, with 1.07 million km2 of ice loss
every decade. Industries cause a quarter of total greenhouse gas
emissions. Concentration of CO
2 is nearly 412 ppm—
about 41% increase, half of which is since 1980 and one quarter
since 2000. Concentrations of methane have increased 2.5 times,
almost, since 1980.
India may lose up to 1.7% of its GDP if the annual mean temperature
rises by 1°C compared to pre- industrialisation level. About 54% of
India faces high to extremely high-water stress. All these may
result in changes in weather patterns, cyclonic
disturbances, sea-level rise, change in agriculture yields, changes
in fresh water supplies, impacts on forests, natural ecosystems,
and human health.
Although natural calamities, such as earthquakes, cyclones,
tsunami, floods, cloud bursts, and excessive thermal variations
have occurred throughout Earth’s history, their frequency and the
intensity have multiplied in the recent past. Global warming,
resource depletion, and increasing pollution generally emanates
from increasing population, ambitious lifestyles, ever- increasing
needs, and the greed and careless attitude of humans. Excessive use
of energy and water for mining, exploration, and procurement of
natural resources has its own burden on the already depleting
resources.
A careful glance of recent calamities presents a disturbing picture
in terms of impacts, disruptions, fatalities, and financial
losses.
Nature Has Its Say
Month/Year Calamity Location Fatalities
Sep ’93 Earthquake Latur 10,000
Jan ’01 Earthquake Bhuj 20,000
Oct ’99 Cyclone Odisha 10,000
Jun ’13 Flood Uttarakhand 5,700
Jul ’05 Flood Mumbai 1,100
Besides the above-mentioned impact on environment and nature due to
excessive industrialisation, urbanisation, and increased
population, there are also other reasons leading to such
calamities. For example, man-made changes to environment —
deforestation, destruction of wetlands, changes made to waterways,
and pollution- related changes such as climate change and rise in
sea level — increase the intensity and frequency of floods.
Having understood brief rationales behind these calamities and also
indirect factors on the environmental front, it is still not in the
utter control of human beings to bypass or avoid possibilities of
such catastrophic events having vast adverse impacts on humanity
and life. This is despite over 5,000 years of civilisation coupled
with large scale developments and industrialisation in the recent
past with added information technology, automation, and
meteorological data. Humanity is at the mercy of nature, except for
some limited contingencies and post-calamity damage control
exercises. One can only keep tab on developments based on forecast
and take all possible measures not to control the calamity but only
to safeguard its people and infrastructure interests.
It is evident that how we deal with nature and the environment has
tremendous impact on the way nature may respond. Although direct
linkages are not established for every event, it provides fairly
good directional inputs on expectations from human beings. In the
given situation and to endeavour our best to protect humanity and
facilities, we could take a few
steps/initiatives in the medium to long term: • Bring and spread
higher awareness on sustainable
development • Align with SDGs/INDCs and government
directives/
policy framework effectively • Draw only needful resources and
review existing
consumptions • Material conservation and waste management •
Efficient water management including recycling
and capturing rains • Depend more on renewable sources of energy •
Energy efficiency and continuous improvement on
utilisation and application • Avoid building emotional empire at
the cost of
nature just to impress others Despite low predictability on
environmental issues
and related events, there is enough evidence, data, past
experience, and best practices one can leverage to put things on
track and save environment and humanity at large.
A few major calamities over three decades:
Flooding due to clogged drains is a common sight in cities such as
Mumbai.
Spotlight
16 | IndianOil NEWS | June 2021
IndianOil presented its core value of Care by stepping in to
provide access to clean water to people across Medinipur, Janta
Bazar and Bishnupur
By Anita Shrivastava, CGM (CC, Hindi & CSR), RHQ
Medinipur in West Bengal has been reeling under acute water
shortage crisis. “Every day, we had
to trek for several kilometres to collect drinking water from the
muddy streams and rivulets. Today, we cannot believe that our
problems are over. It is a dream come true for us,” says Phulmai
resident of Medinipur, the forest village on the Indo-Bhutan
border. She says the people in her community echo the same
sentiment. Narrating the earlier, daily nightmare of fetching
water, she says, “I used to wake up early in the morning to fetch
water from the river which is around five km away from my home.”
She and others in her community in Chirang district would walk for
hours daily to fetch water for household tasks but that wasn’t the
end of their troubles.“ The water was unclean and often caused
water-borne diseases and
many people in my community suffered from typhoid and dysentery,”
laments Phulmai.
Sometimes, Phulmai would be late returning home after this daily
ritual, and it meant that her children would leave for school on an
empty stomach. Her children, too, had to join her in sourcing
water.
Medinipur, Janta Bazar, and Bishnupur are remote villages on the
Indo-Bhutan border at the foothills of the Himalayas. Until
recently, these villages were inconspicuous dots on the map of
Chirang district, Bodoland Territorial Council, Assam, with no
internet access.
Some of the existing tubewells are also broken and they dry up
during the summer months. To make matters worse, these areas are
located in places
Beneficiaries in three districts in West Bengal have access to
drinking water through IndianOil's project.
Water
IndianOil NEWS | June 2021 | 17
where militant outfits were highly active. Sensing their need, the
District
Administration intervened and placed a proposal with Bongaigaon
Refinery for construction of drinking water supply facilities at
Janta Bazar, Medinipur, and Bishnupur. The CSR Team of the refinery
surveyed the location and proposed construction of deep bore
tubewells. The project was completed by the District Administration
within a record time of three months with financial support from
IndianOil.
“When our Gaon Bura (village headman) told us about the water
project by IndianOil, we didn’t believe it would happen, until we
saw people actually constructing the water system. Now we have
water a few metres from our houses,” Phulmai delightfully
adds.
“The incidences of diseases such as typhoid and diarrhoea, etc.,
have come down, and children are able to spend more time
concentrating on their studies instead of fetching water. I can now
take care of my children, send them to school and feed them
nutritious meals,” Phulmai beams, adding that now she can spend
more time with her family, and can provide for her kids’
future.
Phulmai and many residents of the villages located in the
Indo-Bhutan border area are fulfilling their dreams through
IndianOil’s vision of improving people’s lives even in the remotest
corners of our country, while ensuring that their basic
requirements are met.
By providing access to clean water to more than 6,000 people of the
community, this initiative has helped them live their lives with
dignity. The installation of these water systems in the villages
may seem a very tiny speck in the broad horizon but it brought
about a momentous change in the lives of the beneficiaries.
Bongaigaon Refinery takes pride in this project executed in the
IndianOil spirit of ‘Pehle Indian, Phir Oil’.
This drinking water project provides clean water to 6,000
people.
Spotlight
By Balakrishna Naik, GM (CC & CSR), SRPL
Locals in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu are now able to
fetch clean drinking water from the kiosks
established near their houses through IndianOil’s CSR project.
Helmed by IIT-Madras under their International Centre for Clean
Water (ICCW) initiative, Capacitive De- Ionization (CDI) method was
implemented in remote villages of Veppalodai and Vedapatti in
Tuticorin and Vagaikulam in Ramanathapuram.
The groundwater in these districts has a moderately high quantity
of total dissolved solids (TDS) and a Reverse Osmosis (RO) plant is
not ideal in such cases. A typical RO plant rejects more than 50%
of the water, which is not sustainable in a water-scarce region. It
helps that the water wastage in this CDI system during treatment is
a maximum of 20%.
Clean drinking water is provided to the community through CDI
system, which retains essential minerals such as calcium and
magnesium. The water kiosks are powered by solar panels installed
on the roof, which is further a step towards reduced carbon
footprint. CDI kiosks operate at low pressures, thereby resulting
in low operating costs for consumers.
Electrodes are used in CDI water purification technology to remove
the charged ion species from aqueous solutions. The feed water is
deionised by applying an electrical potential difference over two
electrodes, which are made of porous carbon. Anions are removed
from the water and are stored in the positively polarised
electrode. Likewise, cations are stored in the cathode, which is
the negatively polarised electrode. The charged particles are
electrostatically held in the double layer until the discharging
step, where the external power supply is shorted, or its polarity
reversed thereby delivering pure drinking water
Previously, the women would trek several miles to fetch pure
drinking water. Cases of chronic diseases due to the use of
untreated water were quite prevalent. Today, the residents can
access drinking water by swiping a card for a nominal payment.
Encouraged by the positive results of this project, Southern Region
Pipelines of IndianOil is establishing three more water kiosks in
the villages in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh.
CDI technology brings clean water to villages in Tamil Nadu
(Left) IndianOil officials with the beneficiaries of the clean
water initiative. (Right) A water dispensing unit jointly developed
with IIT-Madras.
IndianOil NEWS | June 2021 | 19
IndianOil’s intervention to bring clean, drinking water at a high
school in rural West Bengal has changed the lives of students,
staff, and local residents alike By Arup Das, DGM (CC), ERO
Sitanagar High School, located in Murshidabad district of rural
West Bengal houses 1,674 students, who are
mainly from economically weaker sections. Back in 2018, a water
test report from the tube well of
the school, submitted by the school authority, indicated high
levels of arsenic, making the water unsafe for human consumption.
Subsequently, the Headmaster submitted a request to the authorities
for providing clean, arsenic- free drinking water facility at the
school.
Accordingly, a proposal was initiated by IndianOil — under its CSR
initiative — for the setting up of an arsenic treatment plant along
with two water storage tanks of 1,000 litres each and other allied
facilities at the school. This project is providing good quality,
potable water to the students and the staff of the school, and this
has had a positive impact on their health. In fact, taking the
IndianOil team’s advice, the school has allowed the children to
carry water to their homes, thereby extending the benefits of this
initiative to their family members as well. The school authority
has also allowed nearby residents to use this treated water for
drinking purpose. This gesture, on the part of IndianOil, was
widely appreciated by the locals.
Speaking to IndianOil on the occasion of World Environment Day
2021, Mr. Ibrahim Mandal,
The presence of arsenic in quantities beyond the permissible limit
causes or increases the risk of numerous illnesses such as skin
disease, skin cancer, and diseases of the lungs, bladder, and the
vascular system. As per a report titled ‘Slow Poison’ published in
The Hindu BusinessLine, “Arsenic and fluoride contaminated water
has condemned millions to live wasted lives in West Bengal, Andhra
Pradesh, and Karnataka.”
Jal Hi Jeevan – A Clean Water Initiative
Spotlight
IndianOil’s water treatment plant at the Sitanagar High
School.
Students utilising the drinking water facility.
Headmaster, Sitanagar High School said, “There is a drastic
reduction in the occurrence of water-related diseases among
students after the commissioning of filtration facilities at
school.” He expressed gratitude to IndianOil for this “noble
venture.”
Spotlight
Effect, has been creating widespread awareness and winning
hearts.
On June 4, 2021, more than 140 IOCians joined Mr. Smetacek on a
virtual tour of his Butterfly Research Centre as part of the World
Environment Day observations. Mr. Smetacek displayed thousands of
species of butterflies and moths and introduced the audience to
wonderful creatures such as the atlas
moth, the oakleaf butterflies, and many other species. As Mr.
Smetacek sat down outside his office, in the heart
of the forest, to interact with the IOCians and narrate his stories
on ecosystem restoration, he had an ensemble
before him. From kids aged six to senior officials, everyone was
hooked to his narrative. The session was more of an emotional
connect than a technical
outpour as Mr. Smetacek dived into storytelling mode, backed by
sudden walks into the
other parts of the forests, picking up a leaf from the ground and
sharing its role in the environment and deriving logical
implications from mythological stories.
The crowd was left mesmerised. It isn’t every
day that you witness a thought-provoking
question from a seven-year old. Peter’s talk’s provided his
audiences with some real food for thought.
Having dedicated his entire life to the study of butterflies, Peter
Smetacek is a revered figure among environmentalists and climate
change activists
By Sworaj Kumar Boral, Asst. Manager (L&D), Mktg. Div. HO
He doesn’t like being called the ‘Butterfly Man of India’. But
those who interact with Mr. Peter Smetacek
beg to differ. He could identify butterflies even before he could
read and write.
A man with many firsts in his field, Mr. Smetacek published India’s
first catalogue for butterflies in 2015. He also founded the
Butterfly Research Centre in Bhimtal. He continues to manage
India’s largest private collection of butterflies and moths at the
Research Centre. He has published over 100 research papers on
environment, more than 60 of which are on moths and
butterflies.
It is safe to say Mr. Smetacek is an authority on butterflies. His
expertise on the subject has made him a guardian consultant
globally, the Oxford University included. Mr. Smetacek was also the
first in the country to propose butterflies as bio-indicators,
i.e., how the movement and population of butterflies in a region
determines the environmental health of that area. His numerous
talks, TEDx being one of them, on the much-celebrated theme, The
Butterfly
The Butterfly Effect
Spotlight
is home to 3,500-plus specimens of butterflies
and moths. Having carefully preserved some of the
most unique and interesting specimens from the world of
lepidoptera, his collection is a treat to the eyes. A passion he
inherited from his father, he has preserved, nurtured,
and evolved it into one of the largest butterfly museums in the
country, and it deserves an addition to any nature lover’s
travel diary.
IndianOil NEWS | June 2021 | 21
country. We have learnt to understand how to live with nature.” It
was only in December 2020 that Dr. Narain released findings related
to adulterated honey sold by Indian brands.
Reiterating that we are not as powerful as nature and cannot
rebuild nature according to our will, Dr. Narain strongly felt that
COVID-19 shows that it is time to rethink our lifestyle. Calling it
the silent pandemic, she spoke about how overuse of antibiotics is
leading to a health crisis. She remarks, “The message is clear: we
need to value the oxygen that we get from trees. You cannot value
human beings until you value trees.”
Complimenting the oil companies for the extraordinary work they
undertook to improve fuel standards, going from BS-IV to BS-VI and
the effort taken by refineries to be able to repurpose themselves
to give clean fuel, Dr. Narain lauded their efforts. She noted that
this will indeed play a big role in cleaning up a large part of the
country. She concluded, “Climate change is for real. In an
inequitable scenario, if we don’t recognise that we live in an
inter-dependent world, we won’t have one anymore.”
Padma Shri Dr. Sunita Narain urges for a rethink in lifestyle By S
Kishore, Officer (CC), WRO
The United Nations 2021-30 decade is building a strong, broad-based
global
movement to ramp up restoration and put the world on track for
a
sustainable future. The planet Earth is poised for battle to
preserve its serenity.
The environment needs our love and care, more than ever before. We
must
accelerate efforts to clean ecosystem and bring it back to good
health”.
—SS Bose, ED (RS), WREminent Indian environmentalist Padma Shri Dr.
Sunita Narain addressed a webinar on World
Environment Day, organised by Marketing Division, Western Region;
Dr. Narain spoke about Ecosystem Restoration, a subject close to
her heart.
Dr. Narain, who is also the Director General of the Centre for
Science & Environment (CSE), said that environmental
consciousness is relevant more than ever in today’s times. “It’s
time we walk the talk. The last few months have shown us how much
we value the term O
2 . We take oxygen for granted — we have
witnessed how people gasped for breath and died because of lack of
oxygen.”
She hopes that in the coming times, our relationship with nature
gets stronger. She philosophises, “We, as human beings, have such a
dystopian relationship with nature. When we talk of restoring
ecosystems, we must also talk about restoring our relationship with
nature.”
Dr. Narain advocated the evaluation of food and understanding about
what goes into our body under the guise of it. She explained, “We
don’t discuss about how we manufacture our food. Food is nature.
Today, we talk about restoring bio- diversity and the ecosystem.
Food is a reflection of the bio-diversity that exists in the world,
in our
Climate Change: ‘It is time we walk the talk’
Padma Shri Dr. Sunita Narain addressed IOCians on Ecosystem
Restoration.
Spotlight
Innerscape
Click to play video
Catch the MoU Awards ceremony here.
Chairman lauds IndianOil’s Winning Spirit at the Annual MoU Awards
2020-21 Ceremony
M r. SM Vaidya, Chairman presented the Annual MoU Awards 2020-21 in
an online
ceremony, where outstanding performers based on the MoU 2020-21
targets were felicitated. The MoUs signed by state heads, refinery
heads and pipeline unit heads with the respective directors reflect
the deliverables across the entire gamut of operations. The targets
are in line with the thrust areas of the year based on business
dynamics, Government directions, Government MoU targets, and other
relevant factors. Multiple new categories were also introduced this
year to recognise some outstanding performers on parameters that
required special focus.
“Despite the challenging times, Team IndianOil performed
exceptionally on MoU parameters. I salute their spirit. We have
also notched up record profit this year. It was possible only due
to spectacular efforts put in by each IOCian. I am extremely proud
to be the captain of such a wonderful team. Our people moved
mountains last year, and we went beyond the call of duty to keep
the entire supply chain working. These MoU rewards their
spectacular performance and aims to
Chairman SM Vaidya commends the efforts of IOCians across Divisions
who outperformed despite facing stiff challenges
motivate all teams to perform equally well in the coming years,”
reflected Chairman.
Chairman delved that Team IndianOil has been working relentlessly
despite the ongoing wave of COVID-19. “IndianOil’s contributions
beyond business priorities are well-acknowledged at all levels. I
compliment every IOCian for rising to the occasion and contributing
to streamlining of liquid oxygen supply in the country.”
From left: RK Mohapatra, Director (HR); GK Satish, Director
(P&BD); SM Vaidya, Chairman; Dr. SSV Ramakumar, Director
(R&D); and SK Gupta, Director (Finance) participating in the
MoU Awards ceremony virtually.
MoU Award Category Winner
3 Refinery with Least Interruptions under Category-I Mathura
4 Refinery with Least Interruptions under Category-II Guwahati and
Bongaigaon
5 Refinery with Best Safety Performance under Category-I
Gujarat
6 Refinery with Best Safety Performance under Category-II
Barauni
Marketing
8 Best Performing State Office (1st Runners-Up) Tamil Nadu
9 Best Performing State Office (2nd Runners-Up) West Bengal
10 Maximum Gain in MS (R) Market Share on Industry Basis - State
Office Punjab
11 Maximum Gain in HSD (R) Market Share on Industry Basis - State
Office Punjab
12 Maximum Gain in MS (R) Market Share on Industry Basis -
Divisional Office (Winner)
Sangrur DO
13 Maximum Gain in MS (R) Market Share on Industry Basis -
Divisional Office (1st Runners-Up)
Haldia DO
14 Maximum Gain in HSD (R) Market Share on Industry Basis -
Divisional Office Sangrur DO
15 Highest Number of Commissionings of Retail Outlets - State
Office Madhya Pradesh
16 Highest Number of Commissionings of Retail Outlets - Divisional
Office Indore DO
17 Best Asset Utilization under Retail (least % of Nil Selling /
Low Selling ROs) Delhi
18 Best performing State Office in Institutional Business
(excluding State Transport Corporations)
Gujarat
19 Best Performing State Office in LPG Business (NDNE Category)
Uttar Pradesh-II
20 Best Performing Area Office in LPG Business (NDNE Category) Agra
AO
21 Highest Incremental Lube Volume (State Office) Gujarat
22 Best Performance in Aviation Quality Control Index Southern
Region
23 Best Performing State Office - Safety Index of operating
locations - Terminals, Depots and BPs
Rajasthan
Pipelines
25 Region with Maximum (%) reduction in Specific Energy Consumption
WRPL
26 Highest Achievement in terms of % target of ROW SERPL
27 Highest Achievement in terms of % target of welding WRPL &
SERPL
28 Highest Achievement in terms of % target of lowering of
Pipelines WRPL
29 Region with Minimum losses on account of Pilferage SRPL
30 Best Performing Region - Safety Index of Pipelines WRPL
Innerscape
MoP&NG inaugurates compressed biogas initiatives
Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and
Steel, launched multiple initiatives
to provide major fillip to Sustainable Alternative Towards
Affordable Transportation (SATAT) scheme on June 1, 2021. Mr. Tarun
Kapoor, Secretary, MoP&NG; and Mr. SM Vaidya, Chairman; also
attended the virtual event.
The event witnessed signing of a Cooperation Agreement by Oil and
Gas majors including IndianOil, HPCL, BPCL, GAIL, and IGL, to
promote and develop SATAT. The scheme aims to set up Compressed
BioGas (CBG) production plants and make it available as green fuel.
The initiative aims a target production of 15 mmt of compressed
biogas (CBG) from 5,000 plants by 2023. The plants will generate an
investment of `1.75 lakh crore, an additional revenue source to
farmers. This also means 75,000 direct and lakhs of indirect job
opportunities.
Mr. Pradhan also signed MoUs with Essar Capital Limited, XEMX
Projects, Knowledge Integration Services, and Global Green Growth
Institute, Seoul, to set up new CBG plants across the country. Mr.
Pradhan laid the foundation stones of five upcoming CBG plants
across Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. Mr. Pradhan also
commissioned CBG plants and dedicated CBG-selling Retail Outles in
Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Ludhiana. He also inaugurated the
injection of CBG into Gujarat Gas City Gas Distribution pipeline
network.
Mr. Pradhan said,“ India is committed to harnessing the full
potential of biofuels to realise Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s vision of reducing import dependence and ensuring a
sustainable energy future for the nation. The CBG programme under
SATAT has gained momentum, but the growth has to be exponential,
not incremental,” he remarked. He also underlined that oil and gas
PSUs need to play a more responsible role with setting up of
infrastructure, handholding small entrepreneurs, and convincing the
big companies to set up mega-clusters for the CBG. “India should
play a global leadership role in energy conversion, as we convert
agro-residues/municipal wastes and green wastes into energy,” he
noted.
Mr. Vaidya, said, ”India is betting big on biogas through the SATAT
initiative. This landmark event is yet another milestone in our
journey of implementing the SATAT scheme.”
The Cooperation agreement also establishes a strong network for
marketing the entire produced quantity from CBG plants through
various channels. There’s also provision for associate implementers
to join the SATAT movement. As per the agreement, IndianOil shall
act as coordinator under the SATAT scheme and liaison with the
Government and other agencies on behalf of industry members.
The website, satat.co.in, which will provide a digital boost to the
programme, was also unveiled during the event. It will be a
resource centre for new and existing CBG plants and SATAT. The
portal also contains learning modules where presentations and
videos have been made accessible.
Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and
Steel; and SM Vaidya, Chairman; highlighting the initiatives for
biogas adoption.
Multiple MoUs signed between Government of Gujarat and
IndianOil
Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas &
Steel; and Mr. Vijay Rupani,
Chief Minister of Gujarat, presided over the signing of MoU for
investment promotion between the Government of Gujarat and
IndianOil. The MoU was for setting up Petrochemical and Lube
Integration (LuPech) Project and Acrylics/Oxo Alcohol Project along
with infrastructure projects at the Gujarat Refinery.
The MoU for these high investment projects were signed by Mr. MK
Das, Additional Chief Secretary to Chief Minister, Industry &
Mines; and Mr. Shrikant Madhav Vaidya, Chairman, IndianOil.
With the additional three MMTPA expansion of Gujarat Refinery from
13.7 MMPTA to 18 MMTPA, the refinery will have 21% petrochemical
capacity. “India is the third largest consumer of energy and by
2030, we will be at the number one spot. Gujarat implemented gas in
their energy mix which today is 26% of the state's energy mix,”
said Mr. Pradhan. IndianOil will also facilitate the development of
emerging fuels, including setting up of India’s first hydrogen
dispensing station in Gujarat as well as develop affordable housing
complexes for migrant labour, shared Mr. Pradhan.
To set up Petrochemical and Lube Integration (LuPech) Project and
Acrylics/Oxo Alcohol Project along with infrastructure projects at
the Gujarat Refinery
Mr. Vaidya said, “Gujarat is charting a new path of prosperity, and
to power the journey, IndianOil's Gujarat Refinery is now poised to
grow to 18 MMTPA capacity. New units for the production of
Polypropylene, Butyl Acrylate and Lube Oil Base stocks will also be
added to the refinery's portfolio.”
The Acrylics/Oxo Alcohol Project at Dumad and Gujarat Refinery will
manufacture value-added Butyl Acrylate, a key ingredient for
paints, coatings, adhesives, textile chemicals, Plasticizer
industry, and other similar products. The Petrochemicals &
Specialty products (Gr- II/III LOBS) integration index based on
additional crude oil added under this project is estimated to be
20.7%.
An MoU was also signed for Infrastructure facilities at Dumad for
Koyali-Ahmednagar-Solapur Pipeline (KAhSPL) and Tank Truck Loading
facility for Linear Alkyl Benzene (LAB) — a feed-stock for
detergent industries. The other infrastructure projects are New
Flare System at Gujarat Refinery and a Hydrogen dispensing facility
for Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV).
IndianOil’s Gujarat Refinery will be implementing India’s first
Hydrogen Dispensing Facility as a clean fuel initiative. The
facility aims to start with Hydrogen buses
Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and
Steel; Vijay Rupani, Chief Minister of Gujarat; SM Vaidya,
Chairman, and other senior officials at the MoU signing
ceremony.
Innerscape
26 | IndianOil NEWS | June 2021
Asserting that the future of fuel retail is mobile, Mr. Pradhan,
Minister of Petroleum and
Natural Gas & Steel, said, “We are bringing in innovation in
energy retailing and making
it mobile and delivering at the doorsteps.” On June 8, 2021, Mr.
Pradhan said that the
government aims to move towards the concept of energy retailer
where different
transport fuels — hydrogen, diesel, petrol, compressed natural gas
(CNG), liquefied
natural gas (LNG) and EV batteries swapping facility — shall be
available at a single point.
Mobile refuelling units can store up to 1,500 kg CNG and can fill
150 to 200 vehicles
per day and will help supply CNG in areas not yet connected through
pipelines and at
places where there is shortage of land to set up conventional CNG
stations.
Mr. Pradhan said that IndianOil is soon going to launch a hydrogen
dispensing
station at its refinery in Vadodara. The government also aims to
have 10,000 CNG retail
outlets in the next five years as the country plans to increase the
share of gas in its
energy basket to 15% by 2030 from the current level of 6%. As on
October 2020, there
were 2,434 CNG stations across the country.
‘Government aiming for composite energy retailing’plying between
Vadodara and Kevadia/Sabarmati Ashram. These projects will enable
direct and indirect employment opportunity during the peak
construction period, and later for the operation of these
facilities. The construction stage is likely to generate around 125
million man- hours of employment. The total investment outlook for
these projects in different execution stages is approximately
`24,000 crore.
continuous support for hospital admission, financial assistance,
and ongoing efforts for getting customer attendants vaccinated at
IndianOil’s cost. Mr. Vaidya emphasised the Corporation’s efforts
to promote greener fuels such as
XP100, XP95, differentiated diesel, and biofuels, etc., at
competitive rates in the market.
Chairman also highlighted on the importance of dealers being
present at the forecourt to enhance customer satisfaction. “Focus
on Q&Q by conducting regular Check and Fill campaigns, engaging
with at least five customers daily, employing women customer
attendants and specifically working towards bringing young
customers to IndianOil outlets,” noted Mr. Vaidya.
Mr. SM Vaidya, Chairman, interacted with select Retail Outlet (RO)
dealers of Gujarat State
Office at Ahmedabad. Mr. Vinay Kumar Misra, ED I/c
(Coordination),CO; Mr. Sanjaya Bhatnagar, ED & Refinery Head,
Gujarat Refinery; Mr. M Anna Durai, ED & State Head, GSO; and
Mr. Sanjib Behera, CGM (RS), GSO; were also present at the
meeting.
The dealers congratulated Chairman for the historic profits earned
by the Corporation under his leadership. The dealer’s fraternity
acknowledged IndianOil’s
Chairman interacts with dealers in Ahmedabad
SM Vaidya, Chairman, interacting with the dealers at
Ahmedabad.
IndianOil NEWS | June 2021 | 27
During his recent visit to Ahmedabad, Mr. SM Vaidya, Chairman,
interacted with officers
at Gujarat State Office. Mr. M Anna Durai, ED & State Head,
GSO; and functional HoDs were present at the event. Mr. Vaidya
emphasised on striving to improve market share and encouraged the
young IOCians to put forth their ideas and implement them on a
small scale to ensure their workability
In an interactive session, Chairman also apprised the group about
the various alternative energy initiatives that IndianOil has
ventured into, such as Aluminium Air Battery technology, hydrogen,
bio-ethanol, and compressed biogas. He spoke about setting up of
fuelling facility for the environmentally cleanest fuel, i.e.,
hydrogen dispensing facility.
Chairman urges young IOCians to focus on improving market
share
SM Vaidya, Chairman, addressing young IOCians at GSO.
our state-of-the-art R&D Centre. IndianOil StartUp has resulted
in the filing of 39 joint patents, six copyrights, four trademarks
and three designs for the country. The market valuation of the
completed projects ranges between `20 crore to `216 crore.”
IndianOil promotes start-ups to nurture innovations: Director
(HR)
RK Mohapatra, Director (HR), delivering the keynote address.
Mr. Ranjan Kumar Mohapatra, Director (HR), delivered the keynote
address at the valedictory
session of CII's Start-Up Gurukul in June 2021. This platform aims
to facilitate a start-up’s growth through innovation and industry
support.
“In the face of this all-persuasive pandemic, entrepreneurs have to
bear the brunt of realities that come with the New Normal.
Entrepreneurs are fighters; they are optimistic and resilient by
nature. They will overcome this difficult period because it is in
their DNA to bounce back. Every crisis has an endpoint.
Entrepreneurs shouldn’t shy away from attempting something new",
noted Mr. Mohapatra.
IndianOil has been actively promoting start-ups with mentorship,
strategy and funding to nurture an ecosystem conducive to
innovations in the domestic hydrocarbons sector since 2016. Mr.
Mohapatra said, “This scheme is age-and education-agnostic, and is
spearheaded by
Innerscape
President (Marketing, Midstream & Processing), Equinor
(formerly, StatOil of Norway), delivered the 14th edition of the
Vyakhyan IndianOil LEADTALK series. The talk, organised as a run-
up to World Environment
Day 2021, focused on Equinor’s journey towards decarbonisation. Mr.
SM Vaidya, Chairman; directors and other senior officials also
attended the talk.
Ms. Rummelhoff explained how carbon capture and storage (CCS) is
the way forward. “For comprehensive decarbonisation, industries
need to actively collaborate and participate,” she noted. Citing
the cement industry, a major emitter of carbon dioxide, she said
that carbon capture is the most viable solution.
Ms. Rommelhoff spoke in detail about
‘Cost of hydrogen production is going to come down significantly by
2030’ Irene Rummelhoff of Equinor delivers the 14th IndianOil
LEADTALK series
Northern Lights, the world’s first open source CO 2
transportation and storage project. A joint effort by Equinor,
Total, and Shell, the project decarbonises captured carbon from
industrial plants. This compressed carbon dioxide is then
transported by ship to permanent storage points and exported via
offshore pipelines.
She suggested a three-fold formula to move on the path of
decarbonisation: replace carbon intense fuels in transportation
with gas; combine gas with renewables, and integrate hydrogen with
renewable electricity. “Hydrogen’s utility for a greener tomorrow
is going to increase as cost of hydrogen production is going to
come down significantly by 2030,” she predicted.
Mr. Vaidya pointed out that from India’s perspective,
decarbonisation would largely involve biofuels. The Chairman also
informed that IndianOil is pioneering hydrogen economy in India by
successfully demonstrating the efficacy of H-CNG as a transport
fuel for commercial buses which is yielding great results in terms
of fuel efficiency and reduction in carbon emissions.
Irene Rummelhoff.
QUIZ Answers for May Edition Quiz
3. IndianOil’s gross refining margin for 2020-2021 in US$ ____ per
bbl - $5.64/bbl
4. Who was the guest speaker at the 13th Vyakhan IndianOil
LEADTALK? - Capt. Raghu Raman
5. From which terminal was the first batch of XP95 flagged off
from? - Tikrikalan Terminal
6. What is the tagline for XP95? - Upgrade, Unlock and
Unleash
1. IndianOil’s Net Profit for the year 2020-21 is `_______ crore. -
`21,836 crore
2. Name the Ahmedabad-based Retail Outlet channel partner who has
been offering fuel to COVID-19 frontline workers at a discounted
price - Ajay Jani
7. Which is the single window application used to monitor supply
logistics of liquid oxygen in real time? - Sanjeevani Express
8. Kartikeya Srivastava decided to make the most of his free time
by reading which book? - A Promised Land by Barack Obama
9. Where is the only LPG Bottling Plant in the state of Sikkim? -
Rangpo
10. Who directed the film, The Shining? - Stanley Kubrick
IndianOil NEWS | June 2021 | 29
Tackling Cyclone Yaas As India’s east coast faced the wrath of
Cyclone Yaas, IOCians went beyond their call of duty to keep
operations running
Cyclone Yaas whiplashed the eastern coast of India, while the
country battles a devastating second
wave of COVID-19 infections. The Cyclone affected parts of West
Bengal,
Jharkhand, and Odisha, destroying agricultural land, fishery,
animal husbandry, and horticulture facilities. Many mud houses and
temporary shelters were either damaged or destroyed
completely.
After making landfall on May 26, 2021 at 11 am near Dhamra Port in
Odisha, it weakened into a severe cyclonic storm by the time it
circled around north coastal Odisha, around 15 km from Balasore.
Spurred by the storm, the tide triggered high waves that crossed
guard walls.
The situation in West Bengal was no different. The town of Digha
and National Highway 116B lay flooded for several hours. In Haldia,
the breach of an embankment on the Hooghly river flooded several
large and small factories on the banks. Mr. SM Vaidya, Chairman,
presided over high-level meetings ahead of the Cyclone’s landfall
to review the preparedness of IndianOil installations to deal with
the Cyclone.
Preparing for the cyclone The Corporation took proactive measures
to ensure that there was minimal damage while ensuring that
operations weren’t dented. Mobile dispensers were made available
and Aviation Fuel Stations under the cyclonic zone were prepared to
deal with the impact. Alternative provisions were kept at nearby
AFSs as part of contingency plans. IndianOil’s chartered vessels
were positioned away from the projected trajectory of the Cyclone.
Tank truck filling operations at terminals and bottling plants were
also put on hold.
The Haldia Refinery undertook several precautionary measures to
ensure smooth operations to maintain uninterrupted operations and
supply of fuels. Although there was no major damage in Haldia, the
storm severely affected the nearby locations of Purba Medinipur. A
round-the-clock control room was established to
monitor real-time progress of the cyclone. Emergency and essential
services including transport, medical, security, water supply,
power supply, fire & rescue services, and fire tenders
including maintenance services were kept on stand-by.
Precautionary work in progress at Haldia Refinery.
Images from Balasore Depot.
Distribution of food items by Prabartan Fuel Station of Purba
Medinipur District.
Distribution of relief materials by SS Gas service at Patherpratima
in the Sunderbans.
30 | IndianOil NEWS | June 2021
All in the Family
Families across the country are adapting to the evolving changes in
daily life caused by
the COVID-19 pandemic. While most schools, outdoor sports, places
of public gathering, etc. are closed, children don’t have much to
engage. This is when IOCians in SERPL, Bhubaneswar, devised ways to
include interactive activities in the child’s routine.
They endeavoured to strike a chord with these young minds and make
them learn about COVID-19-related precautionary measures through a
fun activity with the concept: Bacche Jagenge…Coronavirus
Bhagenge.
Participants could submit creatively clicked photographs of their
children on COVID-19 prevention theme within a timeframe of two
days. Entries started pouring in and the event witnessed
enthusiastic response from employees. Participants dug deeper
into
creative ideas and submitted thought-provoking clicks with an
underlying message to ensure a safe and healthy environment. The
contest was open for kids up to 15 years and results were declared
in three categories (0-2, 2-8 and 8-15 years).
”The pandemic has caused major disruptions to daily life and
children are feeling these changes deeply. It’s therefore important
to be proactive in conversation with children and engage them in
such creative activities,” appealed Mr. Sanjay Kumar V, ED,
SERPL.
“We appreciate the interest shown by employees for this contest.
Trying times like these have a profound impact on physical as well
as mental well-being. Such initiatives provide us an excellent
opportunity to bond as a family in a virtual way and reduce
stress”, remarked Mr. S Patnaik, CGM (HR), SERPL.
Play: Brain’s favourite way of learning The outbreak of COVID-19
and its consequences can make children anxious and stressed. In
these precarious times, SERPL, Bhubaneswar, came up with the
creative IndianOil Warrior Kids Contest featuring IOCian
wards
By Gaurav Jain, Manager (CSR), SERPL, Bhubaneswar
A G E G R O U P ( 0 - 2 Y E A R S )
First Prize Ayansh, S/o Subharthi Pal, SERPL, Paradip
Second Prize Izdaan, S/o Faisal Rahman, SERPL, Bhubaneswar
Third Prize Aarav, S/o Ajit Kumar, SERPL, Raipur
IndianOil NEWS | June 2021 | 31
A G
E G
R O
U P
Second Prize Rihan, S/o Ranganath Sahoo, SERPL, Paradip Second
Prize
Nishita and Harshita, D/o Gopalakrishna MK, SERPL, Hyderabad
Third Prize Yashaswi, D/o K Hemant Kumar, SERPL, Balasore
Third Prize Thishyaketh, S/o Sreenaiah Abimalla, SERPL, Vizag
First Prize Advik, S/o Akash Kesharwani, SERPL, Korba
First Prize Aarohi, D/o SS Gupta, SERPL, Balasore
32 | IndianOil NEWS | June 2021
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Media Bytes
36 | IndianOil NEWS | June 2021
“Mixed doubles remains a realistic medal hope,” says nine-time
men’s India champion and IOCian, Sharath Kamal, during an
exclusive
interview by Rutvick Mehta for Hindustan Times
Sharath Kamal blooms as table tennis hits an ‘Indian high’
“I just wish,” Sharath Kamal says with a sigh, “this had come
around a decade ago.” ‘This’ is him feeling fit as a teen at 38;
playing some of the best table tennis of his professional career
close to two decades into it; being optimistic that his most
productive Olympics — his fourth, the most out of the officially
qualified Indian athletes so far — would be in Tokyo one year
before he turns 40.
“But, better late than ever,” he adds. “I guess everything has its
own course of time.”
Sharath’s time, incidentally, has coincided with a high in Indian
table tennis. His best shot at an Olympic medal in the twilight of
his prolonged career is also the country’s brightest chance yet of
a first table tennis medal at the Games — in mixed doubles
partnering Manika Batra. It comes after the record nine-time
national champion’s growth as a player, which coincided with the
sport’s performance and popularity reaching never-before-seen
levels in India.
In Tokyo, Sharath will have G Sathiyan for company in singles, both
being inside the top-40 in the world rankings. Then there’s Batra
and Sutirtha Mukherjee rounding
off the quota of four singles players, and the Sharath-Batra pair
looking to build on their historic 2018 Asian Games bronze at the
Olympic stage. The players are likely to be followed by millions
back home who celebrated their achievement three years ago at the
Commonwealth and Asian Games.
Contrast that to the 2004 Games in Athens, where a 22-year-old
Sharath — fresh from winning his maiden national title a year ago —
made a quiet entry into his first Olympics as one of only two
qualified paddlers (along with Mouma Das).
“When I started off in Athens, I didn’t even realise that I was
playing the Olympics for India and what
it actually meant. Sure, going into the Olympics you tell
everybody, ‘I want to win an Olympic medal for the country’. But in
reality, I knew it was very far-fetched. And nobody expected that
from Indian table tennis as well,” says Sharath.
Hitting a low The turn of the previous decade brought with it a
steep slide that almost ended Sharath’s career. He failed to
qualify for the 2012 London Games, losing to a lower- ranked Slovak
in the second round of the world qualifiers. His iron-hold on the
domestic scene was also melting when in 2011 Anthony Amalraj beat
him in the final before a 19-year-old Soumyajit Ghosh
IOCians Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra will represent India at
Tokyo Olympics.
IndianOil NEWS | June 2021 | 37
began to bear fruit, for Sharath personally as well as for the
sport in India.But first, it was imperative for Sharath to reaffirm
his status as India’s best, which he did in 2016 by beating Ghosh
in the final to end his six-year wait for another national title.
“I needed that for my head,” he says. “To feel, ‘Ok, now I can push
on for bigger things.’”
Sharath was now back to his dominant self, domestically breaking
Kamlesh Mehta’s 23-year record of eight national titles by
defending his title in 2018, which also turned out to be a
watershed year for Indian table tennis.
At the 2018 CWG in Gold Coast, India shone glowingly with eight
medals across seven events, with Sharath contributing to three of
them (team gold, men’s doubles silver, singles bronze). A few
months later, at the Asian Gamesin Jakarta, India got two medals,
with Sharath playing a key role in winning bronze. “We did very
well at the CWG, but more importantly we stood up to the
expectations at the Asian Games.”
Earlier, I used to play only
the forehand, and I am still
pretty much a forehand-
dominated player. But now
which wasn’t so good back
then. I had to work really
hard on it
stunned the six-time champion the next year.
“I hit my lowest point there,” Sharath says. “That was the only
time I actually contemplated quitting the sport. I was into my 30s,
and I thought, ‘Is there any point in carrying on?’” The hunt for
that answer led to the transformation of Sharath, the paddler. Like
most sports, table tennis was changing with increased use of
technology, advent of data and younger pros shaking up the way the
game was played. For Sharath, a predominantly forehand player, it
meant adding a more solid backhand and the art of a deft touch to
his power game.
“Earlier, I used to play only the forehand, and I am still pretty
much a forehand-dominated player. But now I have a decent backhand,
which wasn’t so good back then. I had to work really hard on it,”
he says. “I lost a few years in that struggle, and a lot of
confidence.”
Just as he was gradually getting it back, a hamstring injury in
2015 pulled him down, as he spent months recuperating in Germany,
where he has been a regular in their prestigious league for around
a decade. The injury hampered his preparations for the 2016 Rio
Games where he exited in the first round.
“The injury was ill-timed,” Sharath says. “But that’s how it goes.
When it comes too easy, then maybe you don’t respect it and value
it as much as I do now.”
The upswing again All those months of work and sweat before the
injury was, however,
Carrying the group Sharath holds high hopes for Tokyo Olympics
where, despite the pandemic-hit preparations, he says the unlikely
dream of a table tennis medal is now a realistic shot in mixed
doubles. Sharath also has Sathiyan and Batra to share the load of
delivering India’s best-ever showing in singles. “Still, somehow,
people do look up to me,” he says. “That pressure will always stay,
and I think it has become a part of my character and who I am —
someone who takes the group along. Over the years I’ve understood
how to work with that pressure instead of trying to evade it. And
I’m better equipped to handle it now than before.”
In March last year before the pandemic halted sport, Sharath won a
Pro Tour title in Oman after 10 years by beating world No. 16
Patrick Franziska. He is currently ranked 32 in the world, by far
his highest in the lead-up to any of his Olympics.
“I’m a more complete player now: mentally, physically and
psychologically and I expect the best performance from myself now,
forget about anyone else expecting from me,” says Sharath.
His mind darts back to the “I wish” phrase. But it quickly glides
to the present, and the future.“If I had done what I feel I can do
now back in London, maybe it would not have been so prominent
because it would still be just Sharath Kamal out there. Now,
there’s Sharath Kamal, Manika Batra, Sathiyan and all those
promising younger players around us,” he says.
38 | IndianOil NEWS | September 2019
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