Due to the gas crisis, two fertilizer factories have shut down, and another is on the verge of closure

Due to the gas crisis, two of the country’s largest fertilizer factories located in Anwara, Chattogram Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Limited (CUFL) and Karnaphuli Fertilizer Company Limited (KAFCO) have already been shut down. Now, the DAP Fertilizer Company Limited (DAPFCL) is on the verge of closure due to an ammonia shortage. Managing Director Mohammad Moinul Haque stated that if CUFL and KAFCO cannot resume operations and supply ammonia by next week, DAPFCL will also be forced to shut down.

It is জানা গেছে that DAPFCL was established under the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC), under the Ministry of Industries, with the aim of ensuring balanced fertilizer use in the agricultural sector and meeting the growing demand for compound fertilizers (containing nitrogen and phosphorus). Two separate units (DAP-1 and DAP-2) with a daily production capacity of 800 tons of DAP fertilizer were constructed in Rangadia, Anwara Upazila. After completion of construction, the factory began successful commercial production of DAP fertilizer in 2006. Currently, the factory produces 600 to 700 tons of urea daily.

According to DAPFCL sources, since its inception, the factory has been producing urea using ammonia supplied by the neighboring large fertilizer factories CUFL and KAFCO. However, due to the recent shutdown of these two factories, ammonia supply has been disrupted. As a result, once the stored ammonia runs out, production at DAPFCL will cease by next week.

Regarding this, Managing Director Moinul Haque said that their factory does not require as much gas as other fertilizer plants. It operates with a relatively small amount of gas, similar to residential usage. However, due to the lack of ammonia supply from CUFL and KAFCO, production will stop from next week. He also mentioned that almost all of the factory’s machinery has exceeded its lifespan, and there is a shortage of manpower. Therefore, production has declined compared to the initial period.

Production resumes at Ghorashal-Palash Fertilizer Factory

Urea production at the Ghorashal-Palash Fertilizer Factory in Palash, Narsingdi, had been halted for 27 days due to the gas crisis. After receiving gas supply on the evening of March 31, the production process resumed. After five days, full-scale urea production started at 12:10 PM on Monday. The factory’s General Manager (Administration), Md. Fakhrul Alam, stated that it takes five to six days to reach full production after receiving gas. The factory has a daily production capacity of 2,800 tons. Due to the gas shortage, gas supply to the factory was suspended from the afternoon of March 4 following government directives.