Lok Sabha Question No. 2550 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-14
Subject: High Sulphur Content in Petroleum Coke
Ministry: PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS
Asked by: MAJ. GEN. (RETD) BHUWAN CHANDRA KHANDURI AVSM

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2550 TO BE ANSWERED ON 14 th  March, 2016

## HIGH SULPHUR CONTENT IN PETROLEUM COKE

2550.   MAJ GEN B C KHANDURI AVSM (Retd):

## पैट्रोलियम और प्राक ृ लिक गैस मंत्री

Will the Minister of PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether it is a fact that sulphur content and other pollutants in Petroleum Coke are very high in comparison to conventional fuels like coal and fuel oil, and causes exponential damage to the environment in comparison to conventional fuels;
- (b)   if so, the reasons for replacing conventional fuels like coal and oil with petroleum coke;
- (c)    its impact on environment and measures taken to stop incremental pollution;
- (d)    whether the Government is aware that China has recently imposed restrictions on the import of Petroleum Coke into country and also has made provisions for heavy penalty on import of Petroleum Coke having sulphur content more than a certain limit;
- (e)    whether above restrictions by China has resulted into cheap High Sulphur Petroleum Coke being dumped into country at higher pace,  thus  deteriorating  the  environment further  and  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  restrict  dumping  of  High  Sulphur Petroleum Coke into the country; and
- (f)     the total quantity of Petroleum Coke produced in the country and total quantity imported during the last three years and the current year, refinery-wise, year-wise?

## ANSWER

पैट्रोलियम और प्राक ृ लिक गैस मंत्रािय में राज्य मंत्री ( स्विंत्र प्रभार ) (श्री धमेन्द्र प्रधान)

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

- (a): As per information available, the sulphur contents in Petroleum Coke, Coal and Fuel Oil are as following :
* Source IOCL
- # Source  MRPL
- (b)  &  (c):  Petroleum  Coke  is  generally  used  as  industry  fuel  by  Cement,  Steel,  Graphite, Aluminium (etc) industry as per techno-economic considerations.  However, the industry is required to adhere to stipulated emission standards.
- (d) & (e) : IOCL has informed that the domestic Petcoke may be consumed even with higher sulphur  content  to  sustain  refinery  production/viability  as  the  same  gets  produced  due  to introduction  of  BS-4/BS-5  fuels  to  reduce  pollution  and  protect  our  environment. As  per information given by Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Petroleum Coke import in the country in the last 3 years and current year is given in the Table-I of the annexure.
- (f) : The details of the Petroleum Coke produced in the country in the last three years and the current year as provided by the Refineries producing the same is given in the Table -II of the annexure.

| Petroleum Coke                  | Petroleum Coke                   | Coal         | Fuel Oil     |
|---------------------------------|----------------------------------|--------------|--------------|
| Produced from low sulphur crude | Produced from high sulphur crude |              |              |
| 0.6 to 1.5%*                    | 6 to 7%*                         | 0.2 to 4.5%# | 3.5 to 4.5%# |

## Annexure

Table-I Data for Petroleum coke imports into India in last 3 years:

|                     | Import quantity (in MMT)   | Import quantity (in MMT)   | Import quantity (in MMT)   | Import quantity (in MMT)   |
|---------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|
| Commodity PETROLEUM | 2012-2013                  | 2013-2014                  | 2014-2015                  | 2015- 2016(Apr- Dec)       |
| COKE                | 3.34                       | 3.57                       | 5.81                       | 6.56                       |

Source: DGFT

Table-II Refinery-wise the production of Petroleum Coke during the last three years and the

## current year:

( Figures in TMT)

| S. No.   | Refinery        | 2012-13   | 2013-14   |   2014-15 | 2015-16 (upto Feb, 2016)   |
|----------|-----------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|----------------------------|
| 1.       | IOC-Guwahati    | 55        | 61        |      60   | 52                         |
| 2.       | IOC-Barauni     | 142       | 124       |     132   | 125                        |
| 3.       | IOC-Koyali      | 606       | 681       |     761   | 665                        |
| 4.       | IOC-Digboi      | 40        | 35        |      35   | 28                         |
| 5.       | IOC-Panipat     | 886       | 978       |     870   | 766                        |
| 6.       | IOC-Bongaigaon  | 129       | 128       |     137   | 131                        |
| 7.       | NRL, Numaligarh | 65.5      | 67.5      |      92.9 | 86.3                       |
| 8.       | MRPL, Mangalore | -         | -         |     367   | 765                        |
| 9.       | RIL, Jamnagar   | 2837      | 2799      |    2844   |                            |
| 10.      | RIL, SEZ        | 3578      | 3849      |    3600   |                            |
| 11.      | EOL, Vadinar    | 1739      | 2112      |    2248   |                            |
| 12.      | BORL, Bina      | 409.6     | 438.5     |     530   | 433.9                      |
| 13.      | HMEL, Bhatinda  | 457       | 795       |     770   |                            |
|          | Total           | 10944.1   | 12068     |   12446.9 | 3052.2                     |