Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) has commissioned India’s first LC-MAX residue conversion unit at its Visakh Refinery, marking a milestone in the country’s downstream sector.

LC-MAX, developed by CLG in 2012, converts up to 93 per cent of vacuum residue into high-value distillates, enhancing operational efficiency and sustainability at HPCL’s Residue Upgradation Facility.

The unit is supported by the LC-MAX Digital Suite from Lummus Digital, which integrates real-time monitoring, predictive analytics, and AI-driven optimisation through the mcube platform.

 This ensures seamless, production-ready operations from startup, enabling HPCL to manage one of the most complex refining processes efficiently and intelligently.

Shri Vikas Kaushal, Chairman and Managing Director, HPCL, noted: “As the country’s first LC-MAX® unit, this deployment positions HPCL at the forefront of technological and operational innovation. By integrating advanced intelligence, we are setting a new benchmark”

Debdas Sen, Joint Executive Director, Lummus Digital and CEO of TCG Digital, added: “With hybrid modelling and an integrated digital backbone built on mcube, the LC-MAX Digital Suite will be a valuable operational asset for HPCL—delivering sustained operational value.”

Ujjal Mukherjee, Joint Executive Director, Lummus Digital and CTO of Lummus Technology, remarked: “By combining decades of proven process technology from Lummus with AI-assisted optimisation, this deployment represents exactly the kind of integrated innovation the downstream refining industry needs to drive margins.”

Arun Arora, CTO, Chevron Lummus Global, added: “CLG is proud to be part of the successful deployment of advanced Digital Suite for the world’s first LC-MAX unit at HPCL, designed for bottom-of-the-barrel upgrading of vacuum residue. This cutting-edge solution seamlessly integrates CLG’s proprietary process technology know-how and optimisation tools, delivering real-time insights to maximise throughput, enhance reliability, and drive superior operational efficiency.” -TradeArabia News Service