Question : HPCL Bio-Fuels Limited

(a) whether the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) through its subsidiary HPCL Biofuels Ltd. (HBL) operates Integrated Plants;
(b) if so, whether the plants owe a huge amount as arrears to their customers during the current crushing season, if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken/being taken by the Government to pay outstanding dues within a stipulated time;
(c) the details of production (sugar, ethanol and power) and profits made by HBL during the last three years, year-wise;
(d) whether malpractices such as nepotism and black-marketing are reported in issuance of challans by the plant, if so, the details of review of functioning of the plants and remedial action taken thereon; and
(e) whether the plant is emitting smoke causing pollution and posing public health hazard, if so, the details thereof and the action taken thereon along with the steps taken by the Government to review functioning of the plant?

MINISTER OF PETROLEUM & NATURAL GAS
(SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)
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(a): Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), through its wholly owned subsidiary HPCL Biofuels Limited (HBL) is operating two integrated sugar, ethanol and cogeneration plants at Suguali and Lauriya, in East and West Champaran districts of Bihar.
(b) As per information furnished by HBL, there is no outstanding payment towards cane procured upto 2017-18 crushing season.
(c) The details of production (sugar, ethanol and power) and profit/loss made by HBL during the last three years, as furnished by HBL, are as under :
Production
FY 2016-17
FY 2017-18
FY 2018-19
Sugar
55,333 MT
63,870 MT
68,124 MT
Ethanol
10,082 KL
7,025 KL
8,558 KL
Power
67,383 KW
79,085 KW
73,595 KW
Profit/Loss ? 3038 lakh (loss) ? 7789 lakh (loss) ? 6766 lakh (loss)
(d) HBL has reported that there are no instances of nepotism and black marketing. However, malpractices in issuance of challan as well as cane procurement from outside cane command area were reported in the crushing season 2017-18. Appropriate action is taken as per the procedure in respect of allegations/complaints received as well as established cases of malpractices/lapses. HBL has taken measures to make cane procurement more transparent and robust which include :
(i) Capturing and verifying the exhaustive details of cane plantation by visiting the farmland through GPS enabled Hand Held Terminal Device.
(ii) Adoption of new technologies like implementing GPS tagging of vehicles used for cane procurement.
(e) In HBL, bagasse based co-generation plant of 20 MW capacity is the only source of generation of smoke. However, it is fitted with Electro Static Precipitator, a state of art pollution control device, to trap the urburnt fuel in the smoke. Moreover, HBL has 72 meters high chimney for diluting and disposing of the smoke.
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