Talcher fertiliser unit in Odisha to start production from 2018

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
New Delhi, Sep 26:

Union Chemical and Fertilizer Minister Anantha Kumar today said the Talcher Fertilizer Unit in Odisha, which has been shut down in 2002, will start production from 2018.

In order to accelerate the revival of the plant, a joint review meeting was held by Union Chemical and Fertilizer Minister Anantha Kumar and Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi on Friday.

After the review meeting, the Ministers said the state-owned Coal India Ltd, gas utility GAIL India and fertilizers majors RCF and FCIL will form two joint ventures for revival of Talcher urea plant in Odisha at a cost of Rs 9,000 crore.

The first JV will be for setting up of an upstream coal gasification unit and the second JV involves setting up of a urea-cum-ammonia nitrate complex.

“The plant will have a capacity of 1.3 million tonnes per annum of urea and 3.3 lakh liters of ammonia nitrate. This will be the first plant in the country using coal gasification technology,”Anantha Kumar said. .

The old equipment, plant and machinery cannot be used in the new unit and is worth only scrap. This scrap is being sold to make way for setting up of a new plant, he said.

Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said since three Ministries like Coal, Fertilizer and Petroleum are involved in the project, it has been decided to review the progress of the project every month to ensure strict adherence to time line as planned.

Pradhan said by November this year, the new joint venture companies would be formed. Immediately after that, Detailed Project Report (DPR) would be finalised and financial closure would be done to go ahead with implementation.

Union Fertilizer Secretary Jugal Mohapatra was also present during the review meeting.