Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan reviews the largest foreign investment in the state

KOCHI: Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan reviewed the industrial gas production project of Air Products, the largest foreign investment in Kerala that has come up as part of integrated refinery expansion project ( IREP) of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited at Kochi Refinery.

He along with additional chief secretary, industries and power, Paul Antony held discussions with the senior executives of Air Products at a meeting held at Thiruvananthapuram on August 1.

Air Products is one of the major global suppliers of gases like oxygen, nitrogen and argon which find application in industries and medicine. Air Products has installed a large facility at Kochi on a build own operate (BOO) basis for the supply of industrial gas requirements of IREP.

Supply to IREP commenced from March 2017. The requirement of synthesis gas for the petrochemical venture of the refinery will also be met by Air Products. The investment in the facilities at Kochi is about $ 400 million.

Air Products president Richard J Boocock and Kochi Refinery executive director Prasad K Panicker and other officers participated in the meeting.