Right from the initial stages, the Company has always given utmost attention to environmental care and protection. Extensive anti-pollution measures have been incorporated in the design of the units. BPCL-KR is an ISO 14001 company, which confirms that KR’s Environment Management Systems conform to international standards. Kochi Refinery is the first organization in Kerala to receive the ISO 14001 certification.
The design of the effluent water treatment system is such that the water discharged from the treatment unit is well within the quality levels prescribed by the State Pollution Control Board and the national standards. In fact, Kochi Refinery is the first industrial unit in Kerala permitted by the State Pollution Control Board, to discharge treated water into inland rivers.
BPCL-KR has installed Sulphur Recovery units to minimise the SO2 emissions from the Refinery. KR has also installed three fully automatic, on-line and computerised Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations for regular monitoring of ambient air quality at company boundary. In addition, three ambient air quality monitoring stations have been set up at the shore tank farm area also, for continuous monitoring of ambient air quality. To reduce particulate matter emission from the Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) unit, an electrostatic precipitator was commissioned in 1985. KR is the first Refinery in India to install this facility.
KR produces auto fuels (MS & HSD) conforming to Bharat Stage-II norms from January 2005, well ahead of the implementation of new fuel quality norms in the region. The Diesel Hydro-Desulphurization unit (DHDS) enables to reduce the sulphur content in diesel to 0.05 wt. %, thereby minimizing the sulphur emissions from vehicle exhausts. Presently a refinery modernisation project is underway to make auto-fuels conforming to Euro-III specifications.
An ecological park has been developed within the company premises in 2004-05 by planting 4000 saplings of different species of trees, flowering plants, herbal trees, etc. Now the ecological park and the treated effluent waterbed attract different birds including seasonal migratory birds.
Implementation of rain water harvesting schemes inside the refinery is another project for environmental protection. Water collected from this facility is routed to cooling towers as make up water.
In recognition of the measures taken up by KR in the field of pollution control & environmental management, various awards have been conferred on Kochi Refinery
Some of the recent initiatives on the environment front are as follows:
- Modernization project aimed to reduce sulphur content in Diesel and Petrol (MS) to Euro III norms costing Rs. 3942 crore is nearing completion.
- A new Sulphur Recovery Unit costing Rs.150 crore, nearing completion.
- A new effluent treatment plant costing Rs.50 crore will be completed by October 2010.
- Rain water harvesting facilities were augmented for increasing the capacity to 175000 KL from 125000 KL.
- Various energy conservation schemes implemented and thereby achieved a reduction of 140000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year.
- The oil spill response facility at the Cochin Port is being augmented with an investment of Rs. 60 lakhs.
Non conventional Energy
- Biogas plant based on NISARGRUNA technology developed by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), with a capacity to treat 1000 Kg/day canteen waste was installed in BPCL Kochi Refinery.
- Capital approval has been obtained for installing a solar power system with a capacity of 10 kW in BPCL Kochi Refinery
- Feasibility study in progress for assessing the wind energy potential at shore tank farm area.