SYLHET, Sep 28: Shahjalal Fertilizer Project (SFP), the country's biggest fertilizer factory with annual production capacity of 5.8 lakh tones, is going on production very soon.
The experimental production of the project was launched on September 19 after finishing the construct work peacefully. The project might be handed over to the authority in the last part of November this year, official sources said.
The project has been established on 165 acres of area, of which 57 acres are for factory and 108 acres for housing and others, at BRTC area in Fenchuganj upazila under Sylhet.
Bangladesh has six urea fertilizer factories at present with annual production capacity of 1.8 million tonnes. Shahjalal Fertiliser Project is one of the three new fertilizer factories which the government planned to set up taking the charge during its last term. The two other factories are - North West Fertilizer Factory Ltd and Bhola Fertilizer Factory, according to the industry insiders.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the construction work of the project in the area on March 24, 2012 which was expected to be completed within 38 months.
The Industries Ministry implemented the Tk 5,409 crore project with technical assistance from the United States and the Netherlands while it received financial support from China that sanctioned Tk 3,987 crore in loans to be repaid in 20 years with a 2 per cent interest rate. The remaining fund was made available from the government's exchequer, official sources said.
To finish the work within the stipulate time frame, two China-based companies - China National Complete Plant Import and Export Corporation Ltd and M/s Chanda Engineering Company Ltd - worked tirelessly while several Chinese companies including Saxing Petroliam Chemical Engineering and Construction Company Ltd, CNC Seven, CNC Eleven and China National Engineering and Heavy Machanised Corporation assisted them as subcontractors
Besides, 10/12 local companies also worked with foreign companies during the construction.
Jalalabad Gas Transmission and Distribution Systems Company assured the authorities concerned of ensuring the gas supply for the new fertilizer factory.
All the important establishments that included administrative building, general store, main sub-station building, ammonia sub-station building, central control building, lb technical building, maintenance building, compressor building, carbon removal, demi primary reformer, urea granulation plant, air compressing and nitrogen generation station, sulfer ammonia plant and ammonia tank construction was almost done within the time frame and SFP went on experimental production on June 2015. The production was stopped within few days because of some minor faults.
Recovering the faults, the project started experimental production again on September 19 and continued till now.
General Manager (MTS) of the project Kazi Ruhul Amin told The Daily Observer that they were working tirelessly to finish the project in time as it is one of the biggest projects of the present government.
"Experimental production has been running after recovering the faults found in it and we hope that permanent production will be started very soon," he said.
When asked, he assured that there is no gas crisis in the project as the concern company has been supplying adequate gas.
General Manager (Commissioning) of the project Samsul Hoque Sarder said the authority hoped that the project will be handed over in the last part of November this year and then it will go on permanent production.