IOCL Plans Investments worth Rs. 25,000 Crores in Clean Energy Projects

The Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) has announced that it plans to capitalize Rs 25,000 crore in clean energy projects, comprising solar and wind power plants, biofuels plants, and solar panels at filling stations.

“Indian Oil has developed a road map and action plan to usher in clean and green energy alternatives to mitigate the risk of global warming,” the company said in its annual report. Indian Oil plans to scale up its solar and wind power portfolio to 260 MW by 2020 from 216 MW now, which includes 167 MW of wind and 49 MW of solar

Escalating environmental concerns are progressively swaying government energy policies across the globe, prompting energy companies to invest in greener options. Over the next 5-7 years, Indian Oil aims to invest Rs 2 lakh crore to “evolve into a future-ready corporate that provides comprehensive energy solutions to diverse user groups”, company Chairman Sanjiv Singh believed in the annual report.

“Indian Oil is aggressively leveraging its R&D expertise to move into horizon technologies like 2G & 3G (second and third generation) ethanol, biofuels, coal gasification, hydrogen-CNG, hydrogen fuel cells, battery technologies, etc.,” he held.

An interesting transition is visible at more than half the company’s filling stations where solar panels are helping cut dependence on grid power. Pumps have experienced increased sales after solar installation in areas that suffered from unreliable grid supply. Of the total 27,800 fuel stations, 14,173 are solar-operated with a combined installed capacity of 77 MW. In 2018-19, 5,000 stations were converted to operate on solar.

The biggest push is set to come in the biofuel space. “Biofuels is a space the corporation is gearing up with great zest, emboldened by the renewed policy thrust on modern bioenergy,” the company said. It plans to invest in setting up 2G ethanol plants and a pilot facility for 3G ethanol plant, and integration of refinery processes with biofuel production.

It has issued letters of intent to entrepreneurs to set up 75 plants to supply 792 tonnes per day of compressed biogas (CBG) under the government’s sustainable alternative towards affordable transportation (SATAT) scheme that targets setting up 5,000 CBG plants over the next few years.