2 weeks Ago By Tushar Tere
Vadodara: When superbikes roared down the tracks at the Asia Road Racing Championship 2024 in Thailand, few knew the fuel behind that raw power came from Gujarat. Indian Oil Corporation Ltd's Gujarat Refinery in Vadodara played a crucial role in the international event by supplying its high-performance STORM racing fuel — the first of its kind produced in India. "We began manufacturing racing fuel about a year and a half ago in response to growing demand.
Until then, this fuel had to be imported, as no one in India was producing it," said Biplob Biswas, executive director and head of the Gujarat Refinery. "Apart from Thailand, our STORM fuel has also been used at two other racing events in India." Officials added that while a few more orders are in the pipeline, the majority of the racing fuel is currently exported.
"We are considering supplying to western markets as well, but for now, production is based on confirmed orders," Biswas told TOI on Wednesday. In addition to racing fuel, Gujarat Refinery has also made strides in aviation energy, producing and exporting AVGAS 100 LL — a fuel that was previously imported. IndianOil has shipped AVGAS to Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia, and it is also used by the Indian armed forces.
The refinery is now eyeing a broader role in the petrochemical sector through its Petrochemical and Lube Integration Project (LuPech). "With a projected investment of Rs 17,825 crore, LuPech will boost the refinery's capacity from 13.7 MMTPA (million metric tonnes per annum) to 18 MMTPA," Biswas said, outlining the refinery's ambitions of becoming a key petrochemical hub.
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