Shahjalal fertiliser factory starts experimental production

The experimental production began Saturday night at the Shahjalal Fertiliser Factory at Fenchuganj in Sylhet.
It was established on plot of 162 acres of land belonging to the BCIC’s Natural Gas Fertiliser Factory (NGFF), which was shut for ever last year.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the Project’s foundation of the new plant on March 24, 2012 and 38-month time was initially targeted to complete its works, the Factory’s Project Director Md Quamruzzaman informed.
Formal opening may take place in October by the PM, the official hoped. China National Compete Pant Import and Export Corporation Ltd had implemented the project at a cost of Tk 54.09 billion (Tk 5,409 crore).
The factory is set to produce 1,760 tonnes of urea a day while 580,800 tonnes a year, the official said the factory will help produce 330,000 tonnes of Ammonia annually.
The then East Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (EPIDC) started the 300-tonne capacity per day urea plant NGFF at Fenchuganj on December 13 in 1963. As the state-run factory went worn out, the government started establishing the modern fertiliser factory named ‘Shahjalal Fertiliser Factory’ on an adjacent site in 2012 after several changes.
A good number of staff of NGFF were absorbed with the new factory, sources informed, adding old technology is non-existent now due to high consumption of gas and other raw materials.