Production has commenced from the now-revived urea plant in Bihar’s Barauni. It is the second of three closed plants under the revival plan. When the plant functions at full capacity, it will add 1.27 million tonnes (mt) to the current annual capacity of 29.64 mt in the country.

“Strengthening the ‘Make in India’ mission in the Fertilizers Sector,” tweeted fertiliser minister Mansukh Mandaviya. In a milestone moment, urea production started at the Barauni plant, Bihar, he said adding the Government is committed to making India Aatmanirbhar in fertilisers.

The approved capacity of the Barauni plant is 2,200 tonnes per day (TPD) of ammonia and 3,850 TPD of urea. The plant has been connected with GAIL’S Jagdishpur-Phulpur-Haldia pipeline for receiving gas supply.

Minor works pending

Barauni plant project (for revival) reported incremental progress of 0.4 per cent each in both June and July, but progressed 0.14 per cent and 0.13 per cent in August and September, respectively. The revival progress was 97.19 per cent up to September 31. Official sources said some minor works, mostly civil in nature are pending and will be completed soon.

Revival of Gorakhpur, Sindri and Barauni units were taken up from 2016 by NDA government. Accordingly, Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Limited was incorporated in the same year with 29.67 per cent equity participation, each by National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) and Coal India Limited (CIL) and 10.99 per cent by Fertilisers Corporation of India Limited (FCIL) for the revival of these three plants. The Gorakhpur plant got commissioned in December last year and both Sindri and Barauni units were earlier scheduled for commissioning in June.

There are 33 urea units in the country, of which 32 plants use natural gas (using domestic gas/LNG/CBM) as feed stock while one unit uses naphtha, too.

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