Indian Oil to Start Up Synthetic Rubber Plant by Year-End

Indian Oil Corp is set to commission its polybutadiene rubber (PBR) plant at Panipat, northern India, by the end of 2026, with a production capacity of 60 kilotonnes per annum (ktpa). The project, which was initially scheduled for start-up in 2025, has seen its cost increase to around INR30 billion ($350 million), more than double the initial investment of INR14.6 billion announced in March 2022. The plant will utilize technology supplied by Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co and source its butadiene feedstock from Indian Oil’s existing butadiene extraction unit at the Panipat complex. The project aims to address the deficit in PBR production in India, with the demand-supply gap expected to widen as demand increases. The facility is being built at Indian Oil’s existing naphtha cracker complex in Panipat, with Thyssenkrupp India Solutions (TKIS) serving as the EPC contractor for the project.