Talcher: The coal gasification-based urea plant of Talcher Fertlisers (TFL), which will be commissioned in September 2023, has reached near completion in terms of its pre-project activities like site grading, construction of power and water supply facilities, said TFL CEO Partha Jana, Monday.
In September 2019, TFL awarded a lump-sum turnkey (LSTK) contract to Wuhuan Engineering of China for implementing its coal gasification unit for production of ammonia and urea.
The Chinese engineers and workers who had been working here have gone to China to celebrate Chinese New Year. But due to the effect of coronavirus, it is difficult for them to return.
Locals expected that it would affect the progress of the pre-project work, but Jana confirmed that coronavirus will not affect the pre-project work as engineers are helping workers in Odisha through video conferencing.
Giving a progress report of the Rs 13,300 crore project of Fertilizer Corporation of India Ltd (FCIL) at Talcher in Angul district, Jana said that development of the captive coal mine allotted to the plant in Talcher region has commenced.
He said the plant will promote alternative use of domestic coal in an environment-friendly manner, thereby supporting India’s commitments under the CoP 21 Paris Agreement 2016 and it will produce 2.38 million metric standard cubic meter per day (MMSCMD) natural gas equivalent syngas from coal, leading to reduction in import bill of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by more than 1,620 crore per annum.
The TFL is one of the five sick fertiliser plants being revived by jointly by Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers (RCF), Coal India Limited (CIL) and Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL).
The Talcher project will have a production capacity of 1.27 MTPA of neem-coated urea through the gasification of a mixed feedstock comprising of high ash Indian coal and pet coke to be supplied by the Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL).
The CEO said that the project will have a design capacity of 2,200 tonnes per day (TPD) of ammonia and 3,850 TPD of urea. It will also produce around 100 TPD of sulphur plakes as a saleable by-product.
A road before the before the entrance point of the factory, guest house, administrative building, water pipe lines, power supply works are continuing in a full phased manner.
The company authority has completed 96% wok of water pipe line and power supply while 76% work of flat area grading has been completed.
The authority is expecting that they will finish pre-project works within three months. After this, construction of the project will start, clarified CEO.
Pre-project work worth of Rs 200 crore had commenced with the help of the state government. The civil work for the flats will start from July. The company has deposited Rs 25 lakh at CESU as it will provide electricity of 90 megawatt for the main flat.
The Talcher project is expected to improve the socio-economic status of people as it will generate employment opportunity for 10,000 people during construction period and around 4,000 direct and indirect employment after commissioning.