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The Nayara Energy Vadinar Refinery, located in Vadinar, Gujarat, is India's second-largest single-site oil refinery with a refining capacity of 20 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA), equivalent to about 400,000 barrels per day. This modern and complex refinery began commercial production in May 2008 and has since become a cornerstone of Nayara Energy's operations.

Refining Capacity and Crude Processing Flexibility: The refinery has the capacity to process 20 million metric tonnes per annum with plans to expand capacity further, potentially doubling in the future. The refinery can process a wide range of crude oils including sweet, sour, light, heavy, and ultra-heavy crudes. Currently, it handles a crude basket with about 20% ultra-heavy crude, planned to increase to 60%, with overall heavy and ultra-heavy crude comprising up to 80% of the crude input.

Complexity Index: Nelson Complexity Index of approximately 11.8 to 12.17, placing it among the most complex refineries globally. This high complexity allows for processing tough crudes and optimizing a high-value product slate.

Key Processing Units:

• Crude Distillation Unit (CDU): 405 thousand barrels per day (mbd)
• Vacuum Distillation Unit (VDU): 218 mbd
• Coking Unit: 150 mbd (Delayed Coking Unit among the world’s largest)
• Fluid Catalytic Cracker (FCC): 78 mbd
• Hydrocracker: 130 mbd
• Reformer: 26 mbd
• Hydrotreaters for naphtha, diesel, gasoline, kerosene, etc.

Operational Status: As of mid-2025, due to geopolitical challenges and sanctions, the refinery has been reported to operate at around 70-80% of its capacity, though historically it has operated above 100% of its nameplate capacity.

Product Portfolio: The refinery produces a wide variety of petroleum products including LPG, naphtha, motor spirit (MS/petrol), high-speed diesel (HSD), ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD), vacuum gas oil (VGO), sulphur, petcoke, and polypropylene. It meets stringent Euro IV, Euro VI, and Bharat Stage VI (BS VI) emissions standards, including early adoption of ethanol-blended petrol (20% ethanol) ahead of schedule.

Location and Infrastructure: Situated on the west coast of India within the Gulf of Kutch, Vadinar enjoys strategic proximity to Middle Eastern crude sources and the Suez Canal, optimizing sourcing and export logistics. It includes its own deep-water port facilities with a Single Point Mooring (SPM) for crude oil intake, two jetties for product dispatch, and multi-modal product dispatch capabilities via rail, road, marine, and pipelines.

Land and Environment: The refinery complex spans about 2,392 hectares with 410 hectares dedicated to green belt development, showing a commitment to environmental stewardship.

Power and Utilities: It operates captive coal and gas-based power plants with a combined capacity of about 1,010 MWe, making it the first Indian refinery to use coal-based captive power plants for its steam and power needs.

Quality and Efficiency: Advanced NABL-accredited laboratories ensure quality control of petroleum products, water, petrochemicals, and metals. The refinery also maintains a centralized and sophisticated maintenance infrastructure ensuring efficiency and reliability with over 99.95% operational reliability.

Expansion Plans: Nayara Energy has plans to expand the refinery’s capacity from 20 MMTPA to approximately 46 MMTPA alongside developing an integrated petrochemical complex. This involves additional marine facilities, including another Single Point Mooring, to handle increased crude supply, and petrochemical units such as a polypropylene plant.

Economic and Strategic Importance: The Vadinar refinery contributes roughly 8% of India's total refining output, playing a significant role in national energy security. It is supported by an extensive retail network of about 6,000 to 7,000 branded fuel outlets across India.

In summary, the Vadinar Refinery is a highly complex, large-capacity oil refining and petrochemical hub strategically located with state-of-the-art infrastructure, supporting India’s growing fuel demand and advancing environmental and quality norms in petroleum products.