The Hindu Business Line : Centre mulls reopening HFC's Durgapur unit

WITH emerging prospects of coal-bed-methane, underground and surface coal gasification projects in the country's oldest coal mining in the State, the Centre is considering a proposal to re-open the closed fertiliser plant of Hindustan Fertiliser Corporation at Durgapur in West Bengal.

The coal-based plant was closed in 1997. Apart from the Durgapur unit, HFC has also closed its two other plants in Haldia and Barauni. While Haldia has been closed since 1986, Barauni pulled down shutters in 2000.

Talking to presspersons in Kolkata, the Union Minister for Fertiliser and Chemicals, Mr Ram Vilas Paswan, today said that following a request from the State Government, his Ministry "is considering reopening of the plant by converting it into gas-based technologies.

The gas will be supplied by GAIL from its coal gasification project in Ranigunj," he said.

GAIL (India) Ltd had earlier announced a Rs 800-crore coal gasification project in technical collaboration with Royal Dutch Shell.

The 2,000-tonne-per-day project would produce synthesis gas or `syngas' using coal sourced from Eastern, Central and Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd.

Apart from coal gas, GAIL has also finalised a pipeline to bring natural gas to Eastern region by setting up Jagdishpur-Kolkata arm of national gas grid.

Regretting the previous NDA Government's decision to close down five coal-based fertiliser plants of FCI and HFC in West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and UP, Mr Paswan said, "possibilities for reopening all the units by converting into gas based technologies are also explored."