After remaining shut for nearly five and a half months due to a gas shortage, state-owned Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Limited (CUFL) is preparing to resume production, with the authorities expecting to receive the required gas supply by early September.
If the gas supply is restored as expected, the fertilizer plant may resume full-scale production from 4 September.
CUFL, one of the country’s major fertilizer producers, halted production on March 4 due to the gas crisis. Since then, the factory has remained out of operation.
CUFL Chief Chemist & Head of Operation Department Uttam Chowdhury confirmed the development to The TIMES of Bangladesh.
He said the authorities received the necessary instructions and approval to restart the plant on August 25. Preparatory activities, including startup operations and equipment testing, have already begun.
“We expect to receive the required gas supply around September 3 or 4. If we get the gas as expected, we are taking all necessary measures to resume production from that day,” Uttam Chowdhury said.
According to him, CUFL requires around 45 million cubic feet (mmcf) of gas per day to operate at full capacity.
Despite remaining closed for months, the plant did not suffer any major mechanical damage because its machinery was maintained under a special preservation process during the shutdown.
However, there is no specific assurance regarding how long the gas supply will remain uninterrupted. Against the backdrop of the country’s ongoing power and gas crisis, CUFL authorities want a year-round uninterrupted gas supply, but securing such a long-term guarantee remains difficult.
Uttam Chowdhury said prolonged shutdowns directly affect fertilizer production and increase the country’s dependence on imports.
“When domestic production stops, fertilizer has to be imported at higher prices, which puts additional pressure on the national economy,” he said.
At present, around 700 officers and employees are working at CUFL against its sanctioned manpower.
Meanwhile, according to CUFL sources, the plant has been receiving around 6 mmcf of gas per day since Tuesday morning for equipment testing and other preparatory activities. The supply is expected to be increased to the level required for commercial production.
Established at Rangadia in Anwara upazila of Chattogram, CUFL produces urea fertilizer and ammonia using natural gas. The nearly 38-year-old plant has faced several shutdowns over the past two years due to mechanical problems and gas shortages.
The factory currently has the capacity to produce 1,100 tonnes of urea and 800 tonnes of ammonia per day.
Gas crisis continues in Chattogram
The entire gas supply system in Chattogram is dependent on imported LNG. The region’s daily gas demand is estimated at around 350 mmcf.
Under normal circumstances, two floating LNG terminals at Maheshkhali supply around 1,000 mmcf of gas per day to the national grid.
However, amid the ongoing national gas crisis, Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited (KGDCL) receives around 250 mmcf per day from the national grid for distribution in Chattogram.
As a result, KGDCL has been rationing gas supplies to industrial consumers. At different times, the company has had to suspend or reduce supplies to industries, including CUFL, as well as power plants.
