Govt to build 2nd unit of Ashuganj fertiliser plant
FE Report | Tuesday, 8 March 2011
FE Report
The government will build the second unit of Ashuganj Fertiliser Factory with the daily capacity of 3500 tonnes to ensure smooth supply of fertiliser by 2014. "The expansion plan will make sure that supply is OK and it will also help reduce reliance on imports," industries minister Dilip Barua said Monday. He said the project cost is estimated at US$900 million and it will be financed by government's resources, bank loans and investment from non-resident Bangladeshis. The second unit of the urea fertiliser plant would be built on 240 acres beside the Ashuganj Fertilizer Factory at Ashuganj, he said. He added the location is suitable due to the availability of gas and distilled water-critical ingredients of fertiliser-and infrastructure and communication facilities. To meet the growing demand for soil nutrient, the state-run BCIC has taken the initiative to build the second unit and in this connection an inter-ministerial meeting was held at the minister's secretariat office Monday. KH Masud Siddiqui, secretary and ABM Khorshed Alam, additional secretary of Ministry of Industries and Gholam Rabbani, chairman of Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC), among others, were present in the meeting. Mr. Barua said the environment-friendly and energy-efficient technologies would be employed in setting up the planned fertiliser factory. The new unit would require about 58 mmcf gas daily while the present unit requires 56 mmcf gas, he added. "The new unit will be energy-efficient due to modern technologies." The planned unit will help the country decrease its dependency on imports, which become uncertain after pressure on the international market by importing countries, Mr. Barua said. "It will be rational to install a new unit in the country instead of importing fertiliser, which will also ensure our long term food safety," he told the FE.
The government will build the second unit of Ashuganj Fertiliser Factory with the daily capacity of 3500 tonnes to ensure smooth supply of fertiliser by 2014. "The expansion plan will make sure that supply is OK and it will also help reduce reliance on imports," industries minister Dilip Barua said Monday. He said the project cost is estimated at US$900 million and it will be financed by government's resources, bank loans and investment from non-resident Bangladeshis. The second unit of the urea fertiliser plant would be built on 240 acres beside the Ashuganj Fertilizer Factory at Ashuganj, he said. He added the location is suitable due to the availability of gas and distilled water-critical ingredients of fertiliser-and infrastructure and communication facilities. To meet the growing demand for soil nutrient, the state-run BCIC has taken the initiative to build the second unit and in this connection an inter-ministerial meeting was held at the minister's secretariat office Monday. KH Masud Siddiqui, secretary and ABM Khorshed Alam, additional secretary of Ministry of Industries and Gholam Rabbani, chairman of Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC), among others, were present in the meeting. Mr. Barua said the environment-friendly and energy-efficient technologies would be employed in setting up the planned fertiliser factory. The new unit would require about 58 mmcf gas daily while the present unit requires 56 mmcf gas, he added. "The new unit will be energy-efficient due to modern technologies." The planned unit will help the country decrease its dependency on imports, which become uncertain after pressure on the international market by importing countries, Mr. Barua said. "It will be rational to install a new unit in the country instead of importing fertiliser, which will also ensure our long term food safety," he told the FE.