BHUBANESWAR: The sick plant of Fertilizer Corporation of India’s Talcher unit will be revived and made operational by September 2020.This was informed by Union Fertiliser and Chemical Joint Secretary and Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Talcher Fertilizers Limited (TFL) Sushil Lohani after a high level meeting with Chief Secretary AP Padhi here on Wednesday.
As per the milestone set by TFL, techno-economic feasibility report of the fertilizer plant will be submitted by January 10, tendering process will be finalised by August and work orders will be issued immediately, Lohani told reporters.“It has been targeted to start commercial production from the plant by the end of September 2020,” he said.
The Chief Secretary, who chaired a coordination committee meeting at the Secretariat here on revival of the fertilizer plant, said the plant will be revived by a consortium comprising Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL), Rashtriya Chemical and Fertilizer Ltd (RCF), Coal India Ltd (CIL) and Fertilizer Corporation of India Ltd with an investment of `8,700 crore.
Padhi said the plant would require five million tonnes of coal per annum and after it is commissioned, would produce 1.2 million tonnes of fertilizer per annum.The plant would create direct job opportunities for 550 people and indirect job for 4,000 People. The State Government would provide land, water and road communication for smooth functioning of the plant.
Padhi suggested that coal be procured from the MCL and power from Gridco instead of going for a captive mine and an independent power plant.The Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) ordered closure of Fertilizer Corporation’s Talcher unit in 2002 as it was making losses over a period of time. After nearly a decade, revival plans were mooted during the UPA government in 2012.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), after a series of deliberation, decided to revive the Talcher Unit in 2014. The demolition process of some portions of the old unit began after the revival plan received Cabinet approval. Senior officers of the joint venture partners participated in the meeting.