BHUBANESWAR: Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday took stock of the progress made in revival of the fertiliser plant at Talcher in Angul district.
“Met with officials of @PetroleumMin, @fertminindia & Talcher Fertilizers Ltd (TFL) to discuss various issues pertaining to faster completion of Talcher Fertilizer Plant. This plant once ready will help cut India’s import of natural gas and fertiliser and make India self-reliant,” Pradhan tweeted after meeting with senior officials of the two Ministries in New Delhi.
Talcher Fertilisers Ltd (TFL) is a joint venture between GAIL, Coal India Ltd (CIL), Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers Ltd (RCF) and Fertiliser Corporation of India Ltd (FCIL).
Touted as the country’s first coal gasification-based fertiliser plant, the unit envisages urea (neem coated) production of 1.27 million tonne per annum (MTPA) with an estimated investment of Rs 11,600 crore.
Talcher Fertilisers has been allotted captive coal mine in Talcher region. Mine development activity has
commenced and is expected to ensure steady supply of the feedstock for maintaining continuous operations of the plant. The project is likely to be commissioned by 2022.
One of the five closed fertiliser plants being revived by the Centre at a cost of Rs 37,971 crore to increase urea production in the country and reduce imports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the Talcher plant in September, 2018.