Coking plant nearly complete at Pemex's Tula refinery, Sheinbaum says

The coking plant that Mexican national oil company Pemex is building at its Tula refinery in Hidalgo state is nearly finished, President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday.

With planned production capacity of 80,000b/d, the coker is due to start operations in the first quarter of 2025.

The project in central Mexico is estimated to have cost around US$3bn.

Pemex CEO Victor Rodríguez Padilla visited the Tula refinery at the end of November to supervise progress.

Completion of the plant will allow the 315,000b/d refinery to increase its output of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, bringing the Mexican government's aim of national self-sufficiency in fuels within reach.

Sheinbaum said on Monday that construction of the coker will also enable the Tula refinery to reduce its impact on the environment. 

Heavy fuel oil is one of the dirtiest fuels and has been blamed for poor air quality in the Hidalgo region.

Meanwhile, state-owned utility CFE is converting its fuel-oil based power plant in Tula into a cleaner combined cycle natural gas plant, Sheinbaum said.

In addition to its investment in Tula, Pemex is investing approximately US$3bn in building a 75,000b/d coking unit at its Salina Cruz refinery in Oaxaca state.

Once the two coking plants are fully operational, Pemex has said that Mexico will be fully self-sufficient in fuels.