ARCL to set up petrochemical industry in Tripura

Agartala, Jul 19: West Bengal based petrochemical concern Allied Resins and Chemicals Ltd (ARCL) is likely to set up a methanol industry at Sonamura in Tripura with an investment of Rs 600 crore.

According to official sources here today, a three-member delegation led by ARCL Chairman cum Managing Director S R Mundrar had met Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, Industry Minister Tapan Chakraborty and officials of ONGC and GAIL in this regard yesterday.

Talking to mediapersons ARCL Corporate Planning head Mukesh Mundrar said the company would initially produce Urea Formaldehyde, Phenol Formaldehyde Resin (PFR) and Bio-diesel using natural gas.

PFR is an important chemical component for manufacturing furniture from rubber wood, he added.

''The bio-diesel will be produced with 70 per cent palmolin and 30 per cent Jatropha liquid, also to be manufactured by the company in the state,'' the corporate planning head informed.

Since Tripura has a climate favourable for rubber and jatropha cultivation, the state had made its presence felt in the both the agro-based products.

''We feel the state will be benefited out of the proposed Methanol factory,'' Mr Mundrar said adding that the chief minister had support for the project.

About 300 people would get direct employment opportunity in the project, he added.

According ARCL's proposal, about 10 acre of land and two lakh metric ton cubic metre natural gas per day along with sufficient water is required for setting up the factory with the production capacity of 210 MT chemicals per day.

Official sources said ARCL had preferred Sonamura, western sub-division of the state, situated on the bank of Gomati river as well as along Bangladesh border, for the project in view of the availability of resources and transportation facilities.

UNI