GUWAHATI: A 32-metre-long Vacuum Gas Oil (VGO) Hydrotreating Reactor has successfully completed its 3,000-kilometer journey from Gujarat to Assam’s Numaligarh Refinery on September 20, 2024.
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Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took to X (formerly Twitter) to share the news, stating, “Nation building at its finest. So proud of our team at @NRL_MoPNG for transporting this gargantuan reactor across rivers and mountains.”
The journey marks a major milestone in the Numaligarh Refinery’s expansion efforts, as India steadily plans to increase domestic energy output, while reducing dependence on imports. Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, had earlier highlighted the reactor’s transportation process as a critical component to achieve such national energy goals.
The reactor’s arrival was not smooth; earlier this year, four cargo vessels carrying essential machinery for the refinery were stranded in the Brahmaputra River for nearly two months. Authorities overcame this obstacle by excavating the riverbed, allowing transportation to continue under the designated plan.
This reactor will be integral to the refinery’s ongoing expansion project, as it aims to significantly enhance its processing capabilities in the future.