Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Union Petroleum & Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday inaugurated a Product Application and Development Centre (PADC) of the Indian Oil Corporation Limited here through a videoconferencing.
The PADC has been set up on 5 acres of land near the IOCL’s refinery and pharmaceutical complex at a capital expenditure of Rs 43 crore to facilitate and support the development of polymer industry in the country’s eastern part.
The technical centre, the sixth of its kind in the country and th second in the east, is a recognised laboratory of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) under the Ministry of Science and Technology. The centre is equipped with 50 latest sophisticated polymer testing and processing equipments to cater to the needs of customers and new investors.
In line with the Atmanirbhar Bharat scheme of the Union Government, the PADC would work for development of newer grades from Paradip and curtail polymer imports through substitution. It would operate in collaboration with research institutes like the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Bhubaneswar, Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology (CIPET), Chennai and National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune.
