Five years after construction first began, HPCL-Mittal (HMEL, Bathinda, Punjab / India; www.hmel.in) has inaugurated its USD 4 bn Guru Gobind Singh refinery in Bathinda, Punjab (see also Plasteurope.com of 22.02.2012). The official opening ceremony was attended by Indian prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, who dedicated the complex – which includes a refinery, a crude oil terminal, a pipeline, a power plant as well as a 440,000 t/y PP unit – to the nation.

HMEL is a joint venture between Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL, Mumbai / India; www.hindustanpetroleum.com) and Mittal Energy (Singapore). Both parties hold 49% each of HMEL shares with the remaining 2% in the hands of several Indian financial institutions.