Urea fertiliser production has resumed at Chattogram Urea Fertilizer Ltd (CUFL) following a six-month shutdown caused by an acute natural gas crisis.
The state-owned factory, located at Rangadia in Anwara upazila of Chattogram, restarted operations on 15 September, more than six months after being shut down on 4 March.
Operations began with an initial output of 520 tonnes of urea on the first day, with production increasing further on 16 September. Company officials expect daily output to reach between 1,000 and 1,100 tonnes as the plant returns to full capacity.
Speaking to TIMES of Bangladesh, Uttam Chowdhury, chief chemist and head of Operation Department at CUFL, confirmed that the factory successfully resumed production following the restoration of the gas supply.
The plant had originally planned to restart production on 4 September after receiving assurances of an adequate gas supply. However, the resumption was delayed when technical problems developed during the restart process after the machinery had remained idle for several months.
CUFL is currently receiving approximately 45 million cubic feet of natural gas per day, an amount officials stated is sufficient to maintain production.
Natural gas serves as the main feedstock for the plant, which produces both urea fertiliser and ammonia. The facility has a daily production capacity of 1,100 tonnes of urea and 800 tonnes of ammonia.
The factory, which has been in operation for nearly 38 years, has experienced several shutdowns over the past two years due to mechanical problems and shortages of natural gas. Currently, around 600 officers and employees are working at CUFL against its sanctioned workforce.
While the resumption of operations is expected to restore a significant portion of the plant’s production capacity, its continued operation will depend largely on an uninterrupted gas supply and government decisions regarding gas allocation.
Chowdhury noted that, as a government-owned factory, CUFL must comply with any government directive concerning gas supply and production.
Future decisions will be made based on government directives, particularly if national needs arise or if gas shortages occur in the power and residential sectors.
