The public sector FACT is setting up a new NPK plant with a 1,650 tonnes per day capacity as part of its expansion plans. Nuberg EPC, the leading Indian global EPC and turnkey project firm, has bagged the contract to execute the project.
A.K.Tyagi, Chairman and Managing Director, Nuberg Engineering told BusinessLine over phone that the plant is being built within the existing manufacturing facility of FACT Kochi Division at Ambalamedu and is scheduled to be completed by June 2023. It is primarily designed to produce NPK 20:20:0:13 having a rated capacity of 75 TPH and DAP 18:46:0.
Advanced pre-neutralizer
Tyagi said Nuberg is deploying an advanced pre-neutralizer with Pipe Reactor (PN+PR) technology, which is one of the best processes for large DAP/NPK plants. The new technology would help increase production capacity, improve product quality, flexibility to produce other NPKs, better granulation control etc.
The technology also provides a tremendous advantage to FACT due to its versatility in varying the final product mix. The plant will be capable of producing various grades of NPKs as per requirement. NPK 20:20:0:13 will primarily be produced at a rated capacity of 75 TPH in a single stream and DAP 18:46:0, meeting FCO (fertiliser control order) requirements using ammonia, phosphoric acid, sulphuric acid, urea, filler etc.
Nuberg Engineering will be carrying out the designing, detailed engineering of the plant to enable FACT for future production of different grades of NPKs using ammonia, phosphoric acid, sulphuric acid, muriate of potash, urea etc as required for meeting FCO requirement.
The FCO is to ensure adequate availability of the right quality of fertiliser at the right time and at right price to farmers. The project, he said, comes as another milestone for Nuberg, which went the extra mile to ensure that all commitments to clients were met during the pandemic in 2021 when widespread lockdowns and restrictions were imposed. There are several challenges on the supply side and delivery. He cited the expensive steps taken by chartering a plane to ferry its engineers to Egypt for timely project completion.
To a question, Tyagi said Nuberg EPC is also building and commissioning India’s first commercial scale Hydrogen purification (fuel cell grade), compression, storage and dispensing facility for Indian Oil Corporation at Vadodara. The 1.5 TPD project involves generation of ultra-pure hydrogen and its storage at extremely high pressure. Hydrogen produced at the plant will be used by IOCL as a fuel for vehicles. The success of the plant will enable a revolution in India, he said, adding that the company has also been awarded for another Indian Oil project for the 10 TPD 2nd generation Bio-ethanol from Biomass plant in Panipat.