HMEL is a joint venture between the state-owned Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) and Mittal Energy Investment. HMEL is setting up the Guru Gobind Singh Polymer Addition Plant at Bhatinda Refinery, its petrochemical complex in Punjab.

The work on the project is underway and HMEL is planning to build the petrochemical plant before its scheduled completion date in 2021. Land for the unit was acquired in 2017 and in the same year, CB&I bagged the contract to provide the basic engineering for the ethylene plant, which will produce 1,200 Ktpa per annum.

In 2017, the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) granted environmental clearance for the project. Engineers India Limited (EIL) are the consultants for the environmental impact assessment and invited bids for the mounded bullet works for Guru Gobind Singh Polymer Addition Project in 2018.

The new dual-feed ethylene plant will include a steam cracker, refinery off-gas treatment unit, C4 hydrogenation unit, pyrolysis gasoline hydrogenation unit, benzene extraction unit, and a high-density polyethylene unit producing 450 kilotonnes per annum.

The petrochemical complex is being built at a cost of Rs 19,635 crore and is expected to provide direct employment to 600 people.

The project involved transporting some of the biggest and heaviest refinery equipment that India, and probably the world, has seen. As one would expect, Boxco Logistics easily handled the lion’s share of this movement.

GR Engg Bathinda

  • Boxco’s Business Strategy

Due to the sizes and weights of the equipment required to be moved, most of the major equipment manufacturers and the engineering, procurement and construction companies built their own assembly yards in the vicinity of HMEL Bhatinda works. Companies such as GR Engineering, ISGEC Hitachi Zosen Ltd, L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering, Tecnimont India Pvt Ltd and Vijay Tanks and Vessels all had facilities there. The modus operandi for most of these companies was to bring in parts in humongous packages and assemble them in Bhatinda.

The team from HMEL Bhatinda and their engineering consultants EIL were aware of Boxco's prowess as super heavy-lift transporters, and so they recommended us to all the manufacturers involved. Boxco decided to make Bhatinda its base for its self-propelled modular trailers (SPMTs) and its highly skilled heavy-lift team for the duration of the contract.

Our first contract in HMEL was awarded by GR Engineering. Boxco transported nine super-ODC packages for the company. The heaviest package was 1400 MT, making it easily the heaviest package made in India so far. The longest package was 94.55 metres long, 14.25 metres wide and 16.11 metres high. This was followed by packages from Tecnimont, L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering, ISGEC Hitachi Zosen and Vijay Tanks and Vessels.

A picture they say, is worth a thousand words and we leave these beautiful pictures to do the talking.

For ISGEC, we carried two packages. The first was 40.1m (L) × 9.5m (W) × 11m (H) and weighed 621 MT. It was dispatched on 19th May 2020 on 24 + 24 axles (side by side). The other was 32.4m (L) × 7.8m (W) × 7.7m (H) and weighed 278 MT. That one was dispatched on 13th June 2020 on 18 + 18 axles (side by side).

GR Engg Bathinda

GR Engg Bathinda

GR Engg Bathinda

ISGEC

ISGEC

ISGEC

Tecnimont

Tecnimont

Vijay Tanks & Vessels

Vijay Tanks & Vessels

For Tecnimont, we carried a package of 43.35m (L)× 10.30m (W) × 10.44 m (H) weighing 88 MT. The axle combination was 24 + 24 (side by side).

For Vijay Tanks & Vessels, we carried VTV packages of dimensions 38.5m (L) × 5.52m (W) × 5.39 m (H), weighing 129 MT.

For L&T, we carried cargo of dimensions 30.70m (L) × 4.95m (W)× 4.50m (H), with weight 72 MT.

  • The first project was awarded to Boxco in December 2018 by GR Engineering.
  • Boxco immediately started working on its strategy and showcasing its expertise to other suppliers. Gradually, L&T Hydrocarbon, Tecnimont, ISGEC and Vijay Tanks and Vessels hired our logistics super speciality services.
  • Boxco’s 56-axle SPMTs and two power packs were then busy carrying all the huge items needed for the project.

Boxco has successfully delivered all packages impeccably without a single untoward incident, zero accidents and no damage. Most of the major packages were moved during the COVID-19 lockdown, and that posed a huge challenge for us. However, we ensured that all safety procedures were followed to the letter.

We thank our clients for giving us this opportunity in Bhatinda. This has been one of the most challenging assignments for Boxco and our team looks back at this project with a lot of pride as we prepare to leave the stage in Bhatinda to take on another challenging assignment at Paradip.