The Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) fertiliser factory at Ashuganj in Brahmanbaria is shut because of the gas shortage. With the gas it needs, the plant, which can make 528,000 tonnes of urea a year, could return to production, Samakal reports.
People in the sector say the factory needs about 56 million cubic feet of gas a day at a pressure of 40 bar, without interruption. If that is assured, urea output will rise, imports will fall and foreign currency will be saved.
The agriculture ministry puts annual urea demand at 2.7 million tonnes. Making use of domestic factories' capacity would ease the pressure on imports and help fertiliser reach farmers on time, sector people say.
Built by BCIC under the industries ministry, the factory was completed in 1980, began trial production on 15 December 1981 and commercial production in July 1983.
Locals have called for gas allocation to put the national interest first, including reviewing supplies to industries such as plastics and toys whose gas use could be temporarily adjusted, so that the fertiliser factory can be supplied. Sector people urged BCIC, the gas suppliers and the ministries to act together to restart the plant quickly.
Source: Samakal
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