India's first Coal-gasification fertilizer plant to come up in Talcher, Odisha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched commencement of work for India’s first Coal-gasification based fertilizer plant with pet coke blending will come up in Talcher, Odisha. The coal gasification based fertilizer plant is being developed by Talcher Fertilizers Limited (TFL).

TFL is joint venture company of GAIL (India) Limited (GAIL-29.67% stake), Coal India Limited (CIL-29.67% stake), Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers Limited (RCFL-29.67% stake) and Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited (FCIL-10.99% stake).

Key Facts

The plant will be built at an estimated investment of Rs. 13,000 crore and is targeted to be commissioned by 2022. On completion, this plant will have capacity of producing 1.27 Million Metric Tonnes Per Annum (MMTPA) of Neem coated prilled urea using coal and petcoke as feedstock. Neem coated urea reduces leaching of nitrogen into soil and checks diversion of urea from agriculture uses.
For this plant, TFL has been allotted captive coal mine in Talcher region to ensure steady supply of the feedstock for maintaining continuous operations of the plant. It will produce 2.38 million metric standard cubic meter per day (MMSCMD) natural gas equivalent syngas from coal, leading to reduction in import bill of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by more than Rs 1,620 crore per annum.

Significance of Coal-gasification based fertilizer plant

It will use gas produced from coal, thus reducing dependence on urea and gas imports. It will promote alternative use of domestic coal in environment friendly manner, thereby supporting India’s commitments under CoP 21 Paris Agreement 2016. Pollutants like Carbon Dioxide (CO2) produced by this plant will be recycled for production of Urea and other by – products. Further, ash produced by it will be converted to inert slag which is non–hazardous.

Month: Current Affairs - September, 2018