Centre mulls dedicated coal block for Odisha’s Talcher Fertiliser plant

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
New Delhi, Apr 23:

An inter-departmental meeting on revival of the sick fertiliser plant at Talcher in Odisha’s Angul district was held in New Delhi on Wednesday.

The review meeting held among the departments of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Coal, and Chemicals and Fertilisers ministries, was presided over by Union minister of state for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy Piyush Goel.

The meeting discussed the allotment of a dedicated coal block for the Talcher Fertiliser plant after the enactment of new Mines and Minerals Act.

“Besides, the meeting also discussed other administrative issues relating to the management of the fertiliser plant. It was decided to expedite the process for revival of the plant,” Union minister of state for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan told reporters after the meeting.

It may be mentioned that Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers Limited (RCF), under the ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, had begun the process of revival of the Talcher Fertilizer plant in September, 2013.

As per its decision, RCF will invest Rs 1,000 crore for the revival of the Plant along with other Central agencies like Coal India, GAIL and Fertilizer Corporation of India.

The Centre has contemplated setting up of a Rs 6,000-crore fertilizer complex comprising a 2,700-MTPD ammonia plant, a 3,850-MTPD urea plant, an 850-MTPD nitric acid plant and a 1,000-MTPD ammonium nitrate plant at Talcher.

A four-member Central team headed by Project India Development Limited Additional General Manager AK Sinha visited the plant in September, 2013 and took stock of the condition of machinery, technical facilities, production capacity and surroundings.

The Talcher Fertiliser Plant would be revived using the coal gasification route, sources said.

The plant, which was closed for incurring continuous losses, has been selected by the Union Cabinet to be revived along with others.