CUFL closed to divert gas supply to power plants

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Operation of the state-owned Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Factory Ltd (CUFL) was shut down Sunday to divert its gas supply to power plants in the region to tackle the present electricity shortage, reports UNB.
CUFL Managing Director M Abdus Salam said the operation and production at the country's major fertiliser factory was closed at 1pm, following a directive from the Industries Ministry.
"We've been asked by the ministry to shut down the factory temporarily. The decision was endorsed by Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC)," he said. The state-owned BCIC owns the factory as its enterprise.
The factory consumes 51 million cubic-feet gas per day (MMCFD), of which 40-MMCFD will be diverted now to power plants in the Chittagong region, particularly to Raujan power station where a number of gas-fired units remain inoperative due to gas supply shortage.
Salam noted that though the factory was closed, still it needs 10-MMCFD gas for its "process circulation" or operation of factory's own power plant and some other emergency machinery.
CUFL is the third urea fertiliser factory the government was forced to shut down to divert gas to power plants in view of huge power shortage that crippled life and business through frequent outages in this summer.
The factory was established in 1987 in Chittagong with an installed annual production capacity of 561,000 tonnes. Presently, CUFL annually produces 450,000 tonnes. About 1,000 workers are employed to operate the industrial unit.
Earlier, Polash Urea Fertiliser factory and Ghorashal Urea Fertiliser Factory were brought to a halt under the same contingency measure. The gas of these two factories, located in Narsingdi, was redirected to adjacent power plants.
Annual production capacity of Polash factory is 95,000 tonnes, while the capacity of Ghorashal factory is 470,000 tonnes.
Power Development Board (PDB) officials, who have so far blamed gas shortage for less production of about 650-megawatts of power, now said they would be able to increase electricity generation by about 180-200-MW after the CUFL shutdown.
"We can be able to enhance power generation by 180-200-MW, if the CUFL's gas is supplied to power plants at Raujan station," PDB Chairman Alamgir Kabir said.
The PDB had been forced to scale down generation to 120-MW from 360-MW at the Raujan station due to gas shortage.
"Now the situation would improve both in Chittagong and Dhaka, following the steps taken by the BCIC," he added.