CUFL resumes production after six months

State-run Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Limited (CUFL) resumed production on Tuesday after remaining shut for nearly six months due to gas shortages and technical problems.

The process of restarting the production unit began in the morning after gas supplies were restored. The ammonia plant was first brought back into operation in stages, followed by the activation of equipment at the urea plant.

Uttam Chowdhury, deputy general manager of CUFL's production department, said initial production resumed on Tuesday morning.

“We received gas at the end of last month, but could not resume production immediately because of technical problems. We worked to restart the equipment one by one,” he said.

“We hope the plant will be fully operational and return to normal by Wednesday,” he added.

Production at the fertiliser plant, one of the country's key urea producers, has repeatedly been disrupted by gas shortages and technical glitches.

According to plant officials, CUFL requires around 48-52 million cubic feet of gas daily to operate at full capacity. A drop in gas pressure or a disruption in supply can force the plant to suspend production.

The plant once had a production capacity of around 1,700 tonnes of urea a day. However, its effective capacity has declined over the years due to ageing machinery, reduced efficiency of equipment and recurring gas shortages.