HMEL, India's major petrochemical manufacturer and a joint venture of HPCL and Mittal Energy Limited has invested 24,000 crores in a new LLDPE and HDPE production plant in Bhatinda, Punjab. The total annual production capacity of the petrochemical complex would be 1.25 million metric tonnes (MMT). This project will be an opportunity for the state of Punjab to emerge as the second largest petrochemical hub in the country. 

ChemAnalyst confirmed that the manufacturing in the plant is expected to be rolled out by Q3 FY 2023 after speaking with one of the HMEL respondents. They affirmed that the Guru Gobind Singh refinery would comprise an integrated petrochemical complex equipped with cutting-edge technology. The refinery is designed for the swing production of LLDPE and HDPE with a total capacity of 800 KTPA per annum. Furthermore, a dedicated line for producing HDPE with an annual capacity of 450 KPTA is integrated into the petrochemical complex. Additionally, Butene-1 production at the HMEL complex will take place with an annual capacity of 55KTPA, and the production has started in July 2022.

The refinery will provide its heavy naphtha and LPG streams as a feedstock for the planned petrochemical complex. The site will also have room for capacity growth in the future to accommodate additional manufacturing plants. The growing demand for polymers from the domestic and international market is expected to be fulfilled by this upcoming facility.

As per ChemAnalyst, "In the upcoming years, it is projected that the new petrochemical hub will help India's economy to recover by significantly limiting its import dependency. This initiative aims to help Northern India with the active supply of raw materials in the middle of the rising demand for plastics over the past few years."