India NFL to switch feedstock for fertilizer units

15 May 2007 15:59  [Source: ICIS news]

NEW DELHI (ICIS news)--India’s National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) has invited global lump-sum turnkey (LSTK) bids for a contract to switch feedstock at its fuel-based fertiliser plants at Bathinda in Punjab state and Panipat in Haryana state.

 

According to comprehensive tender documents issued on Tuesday, the switchover to natural gas feedstock should be based on either of the two shortlisted technologies: steam methane reforming (SMR), with purifiers for the production of inert-free synthesis gas, from Kellogg Brown & Root of the US; or SMR, with modifications to the synthesis loop, from Denmark’s Haldor Topsoe.

 

The prospective bidders would have to tie up with one or both of these process licensors to provide the technology. They would also be required to undertake engineering, procurement and commissioning on the project.

 

NFL said that the ammonia plants at the two sites were currently based on an energy-intensive partial oxidation process. 

 

Each plant at the two sites comprises a 900 tonne/day ammonia unit and a 1,550 tonne/day downstream urea unit. Contractors would have to ensure that ammonia capacity remained unchanged along with production of at least 1,178 tonnes/day of carbon dioxide, which is reacted with ammonia to produce urea.

 

The deadline for submission of bids is 31 July, with technical bids to be opened on the same day and price bids tentatively planned for opening on 15 September. The selected contractor(s) would have to implement the project within 24 months of the contract award.

 

Under the new urea policy announced by the government on 1 February, the liquid feedstock-based plants are required to switch over to natural gas - the cheapest and most efficient feedstock - within three years.

 

The company operates total urea capacity of 3.23m tonnes/year in the country and produces industrial chemicals such as nitric acid, sodium nitrate, methanol and argon gas.

 

By: Naresh Minocha
+65 6780 4359

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