Karnaphuli Fertilizer Company resumes production
Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Limited (CUFL) remains shut as gas supply to the factory has yet to resume
Production has started returning to fertiliser factories in Anwara upazila of Chattogram following the partial restoration of gas supply, with Karnaphuli Fertilizer Company Limited (KAFCO) restarting operations and DAP Fertilizer Company Limited preparing to resume production.
However, state-owned Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Limited (CUFL) remains shut as gas supply to the factory has yet to resume.
KAFCO restarted urea production on 2 May after gas supply to the factory resumed from 1 May, ending a shutdown that lasted nearly two months.
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Confirming the matter to The Business Standard, KAFCO Chief of Operations Faruk Ahmed said production resumed smoothly after the plant started receiving gas again.
Factory officials said KAFCO is now producing around 1,800 metric tonnes of urea fertiliser daily.
According to factory sources, gas supply to KAFCO had remained suspended since 4 March following a government decision, forcing the plant to halt operations from that afternoon.
Meanwhile, DAP Fertilizer Company Limited is expected to restart production from Saturday after ammonia supply from KAFCO resumed.
Officials at DAPFCL said the factory depends on ammonia supplied from neighbouring KAFCO and CUFL to continue operations.
After both fertiliser plants suspended production earlier this year, ammonia supply stopped, leading DAPFCL to shut down operations on 18 April after exhausting its reserves.
DAPFCL Manager (Administration) and divisional head Alamgir Jalil said the company has already started receiving ammonia from KAFCO.
"We are planning to resume production from Saturday after building up sufficient ammonia stock," he said.
On the other hand, CUFL has remained out of operation since 4 March due to the gas shortage.
CUFL Deputy Manager (Administration) Samiran Marma said the factory would be able to restart production quickly once gas supply resumes.
"However, we have not yet received any directive from the ministry regarding when gas supply will be restored," he said.
Engineer Aminur Rahman, general manager of the operation division at Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited, said KAFCO has been receiving gas supply since 1 May following instructions from the ministry.
According to him, the factory is currently receiving around 30 to 32 million cubic feet of gas per day.
He added that CUFL requires nearly 45 million cubic feet of gas daily to operate, but no timeline has yet been fixed for restoring supply to the factory.
