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Fertilizer projects in Odisha's Talcher will be operational by October 2024 and once launched will be India's largest and first coal gasification plant, said Union chemicals and fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday.
Talcher Fertilizers Ltd has been mandated by the government to revive the erstwhile Talcher plant of FCIL by setting up a new coal gasification-based urea plant with an installed capacity of 12.7 lakh tonne per annum (LMTPA). Coal gasification plants are strategically important as coal prices are non-volatile and domestic coal is abundantly available. India's agriculture sector requires fertilizers for the sector to flourish and the country is currently dependent on imports and domestic production of fertilizers. "Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister, India set out the target to become aatmanirbhar in this field as well. India's domestic production of urea will see a major boost with five new fertilizer plants coming up in the country. Four of these plants are already functional while Talcher is a coal gasification plant which will become functional by October 2024," said Mandaviya while reviewing the progress of the Talcher unit on-site in the presence of Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Revival of the FCIL Talcher unit is being undertaken by Talcher Fertilizers Ltd. (TFL), a company promoted by GAIL (India) Ltd. (GAIL), Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd. (RCF), Coal India Ltd. (CIL), and Fertilizers Corporation of India Ltd. (FCIL). "Government is taking significant steps in making country Aatmanirbhar. The fertilizer is sector is one of them. By utilizing new technological interventions like coal gasification in our fertilizer plants and using our own sampada (resources) like coal, India is moving towards self-sufficiency in the Urea sector. With this vision, the Government of India has been reviewing the progress of Talcher unit which will be India's largest and first coal gasification urea plant," Mandaviya said, according to a government release. Mandaviya also said that the project will be a significant step towards ensuring the energy security of the country by harnessing the vast coal reserves of the country in a manner that is more environmentally friendly than direct-fired coal projects. The start of all five plants would add 63.5 LMTPA indigenous urea production capacity in the country. Besides Talcher, four other operational plants are at Ramagundam, Gorakhpur, Sindri, and Barauni. (ANI)
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