CPCL has cut water footprint by 20% in two years, says MD H. Shankar

H. Shankar, Managing Director, Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd (CPCL), said that in the last two years, our water footprint has reduced by more than 20%, which is a strong indicator of the efficiency we have created in our systems. “From the very beginning, we have been the only refinery that does not use groundwater for our requirements,” he said during a fireside chat with Senior Deputy Editor N. Ravi Kumar. HinduHindu Sustainability Summit in 2025.

“All of our water needs are met by the desalination and sewage treatment facilities we have established,” he said and added: “We are a refinery with zero fresh water consumption.”

Highlighting the firm’s retail business, Mr Shankar said: “Retail point of sale is an interesting and challenging business; we have not been at the forefront of the public interface until now. Retail brings us directly to the public.” CPCL has got 300 licenses now, he said, adding: “We will start commissioning these facilities by end of this year.”

Giving information about the Nagapattinam refinery, Mr. Shankar said that the entire land parcel has been purchased. “We are planning to build a refinery and petrochemical complex there. There is a huge demand for petrochemicals in Tamil Nadu. There are very few players producing petrochemicals,” he said.

He pointed out that CPCL was one of the first birds to implement BS-IV (Bharat Stage 4) and BS-VI (Bharat Stage 6) grade fuels. “Our refinery launched these products well ahead of time.” Mr Shankar said the firm spent ₹ 8,000 crore to ₹ 10,000 crore on quality improvement.

Hindu Sustainability Summit 2025 is presented by Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL) and jointly presented by Tamil Nadu Green Climate Corporation (TNGCC). The Sustainability Partner is Navin and the Associate Partner is NLC India Limited. The Green Partner of the event is Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and the Television Partner is Puthiya Thalaimurai. Industry Partner is Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Knowledge Partner is Sustainable Energy and Environment Council (SEEC). The Digital News Partner of the event is Federal.