Numaligarh targets Germany
Numaligarh Refinery is targeting Germany and the wider European market as it steps up exports of high-grade paraffin wax from its 50,000 t/y facility in Assam.
"Germany will receive its first consignment shortly," reveals a source. "NRL is determined to expand exports to Europe and Latin America." Used for candles, tarpaulin sheets, food wrappers and PVC pipes, NRL already exports to Mexico and Nicaragua and on January 31 despatched its first (160-tonne) consignment to Brazil.
Only peer refiner IndianOil rivals NRL to produce paraffin wax in India, priced at around Rs70/kg wholesale. Superior micro crystalline wax, used for tyres, paints, polishes, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, costs more at Rs250/kg.
"Soon NRL will sell its first batch of micro crystalline wax too," adds NRL. In India, NRL says it has cornered up to 45% of the paraffin wax market since Narendra Modi commissioned the facility on February 5 last year (2016).
Today it operates at less than full capacity, churning out 37,000 t/y or 1.19% of total 3m t/y refinery output. NRL can also produce 4500 t/y micro crystalline wax.