Chittagong Fertilizer Company resumes production after 8-month shutdown
Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Company Limited (CUFL) has restarted production after an eight-month shutdown caused by mechanical failures and gas supply shortages, which resulted in a loss of Tk960 crore.
Production at the state-run fertilizer plant resumed at 1am on Monday (14 October), according to CUFL officials.
The plant had been shut down since 7 February due to a mechanical issue when the recycle solution pump malfunctioned following an unexpected gas supply cut-off during operation.
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The repair of the pump, costing Tk3 crore, was completed recently, and although gas supply resumed on 3 October, additional time was needed to complete the necessary mechanical processes to restart production.
Mizanur Rahman, the managing director of CUFL said, "Production of urea has started from 1am on Monday. Hopefully, the factory can now operate at full speed."
However, he acknowledged uncertainties, adding that further disruptions could occur if the gas supply is interrupted again.
He said, "The prolonged closure resulted in a production loss of around Tk960 crore, at a rate of approximately Tk4 crore per day. If the factory runs smoothly, it can produce 1,200 tons of urea fertilizer per day, with estimated daily revenue of Tk4 crore, as urea is sold to dealers at Tk38,000 per ton."
Replying to a query, Mizanur Rahman said, "We are getting a supply of 45 mmcf supplies of gas currently and producing 1000 to 1100 tonnes of urea."
He also said that the factory is about 38 years old and there are many problems.
"Overcoming all the problems we are trying to keep it operational", he concluded.
This is not the first time CUFL has faced extended shutdowns.
In November 2022, the factory stopped operations for 11 months and 20 days due to similar mechanical and gas supply issues. Production resumed on November 5 last year, only to be halted again on February 7.
CUFL remains cautious about future operations, stating that an uninterrupted gas supply is critical to keeping the factory running.
