Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilizers (MCF) Ltd, a subsidiary of Zuari Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd, has gone for annual maintenance shutdown of its urea-manufacturing unit in Mangaluru.
Sources in the company told BusinessLine that the MCF plant in Mangaluru has taken an annual maintenance shut-down for 45 days from Friday (March 3) after reaching the full production of the reassessed capacity of 3.80 lakh tonnes of urea for the current financial year. The company produces urea, ammonium bi-carbonate and di-ammonium phosphate.
The production of ammonium bi-carbonate will also be stopped during the period of shutdown. Sources said that the production of ammonium bi-carbonate is dependent upon carbon dioxide coming from ammonia plant (Ammonia is an intermediate product for urea production). However, the production of di-ammonium phosphate will continue.
Sources said that the company wants to start urea production from mid-April, as it will have to get ready to meet the fertiliser requirements of farmers during the khariff season.
The total production of urea, di-ammonium phosphate and ammonium bi-carbonate stood at 3.8 lakh tonnes, 2.05 lakh tonnes and 12,172 tonnes, respectively, during 2015-16.