State-owned Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Limited (CUFL) has resumed production after remaining shut down for 27 days due to mechanical faults.
The plant, located in Anwara upazila of Chattogram, is currently producing more than 1,000 metric tonnes of urea fertiliser every 24 hours, with an estimated market value of Tk4.5 crore.
Production resumed at around 3am on Friday, CUFL Managing Director Mizanur Rahman confirmed.
“Our fertiliser plant remained closed for nearly 27 days due to mechanical problems. Each day of shutdown results in an average production loss worth Tk3 crore,” he said.
He also said the factory was currently receiving an adequate supply of natural gas to maintain production.
Production at CUFL was suspended on the night of 17 October following mechanical faults. Before that, the factory had remained closed for nearly six months due to a gas shortage.
Following the restoration of gas supply, production resumed on 15 September. However, the plant was forced to shut down again within less than 48 hours due to mechanical problems.
It resumed operations towards the end of September after repairs, but subsequent mechanical faults again disrupted production.
Sources said the factory’s ageing machinery was a major factor behind frequent breakdowns and unexpected production stoppages.
Once operations are suspended, identifying the faults, completing repairs and restarting the plant often take considerable time. Extended shutdowns can also accelerate machinery deterioration and cause rust-related leaks in pipelines.
Established under the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC), which operates under the Ministry of Industries, CUFL is one of the country’s state-owned urea fertiliser manufacturing facilities.
The factory is situated at Rangadia in Anwara upazila, near the mouth of the Karnaphuli River. It was established to produce nitrogen-rich prilled urea fertiliser using natural gas as its primary raw material.
Construction of the CUFL plant began in October 1985, and it started trial production on 29 October 1987. After nearly four decades of operation, the ageing facility continues to face challenges in maintaining uninterrupted production.
