CUFL Restarts Urea Production After Six Months, Stops Again Within a Day

PNN News Desk | Chittagong

State-owned Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Limited (CUFL) in Anwara, Chittagong, resumed urea production early Sunday after a six-month gas shortage. However, production could not continue even for a full day. By 5:45 p.m., urea production stopped again due to technical issues.

CUFL Production Head Uttam Chowdhury confirmed to Prothom Alo, “After a long shutdown, technical problems have arisen. The factory is in the startup process again, and we hope to resume production within a couple of days.”

CUFL can produce up to 1,100 metric tons of urea daily. At BDT 38,000 per ton, daily production can generate roughly BDT 41.8 million worth of fertilizer.

Production had halted on April 11 this year due to a gas shortage. In FY 2023-24, CUFL operated for only five days. Mechanical issues and other problems have frequently limited production.

CUFL was established in 1987 in Rangadia, Anwara, with Japanese technical assistance. Initial capacity was 1,700 metric tons daily and 561,000 metric tons annually. Current daily capacity is 1,100 metric tons, with ammonia capacity of 800 metric tons daily (310,000 metric tons annually). Full production requires 48–52 million cubic feet of gas daily. The gas shortage and mechanical problems led to only 250,000 metric tons of urea production last fiscal year. Bangladesh’s annual urea demand is roughly 2.6 million metric tons. CUFL and other BCIC factories supply about 1 million metric tons, with the remaining 1.6 million imported at high prices.

CUFL’s irregular production affects fertilizer security in the agriculture-dependent country and increases import dependency.