MCF starts using natural gas as feedstock

Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilisers Ltd (MCF) has achieved a significant milestone by manufacturing urea with natural gas as feedstock which is more energy-efficient and environment friendly, MCF Limited Director (Works) said Prabhakara Rao said.

GAIL (India) begun supplying Regasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) from Petronet via Kochi-Mangalore pipeline from November 23 and normal urea production using natural gas as feedstock begun on December 15.

As per the Centre's mandate, MCF had converted the plant for the usage of natural gas as feedstock in 2014 with an investment of around Rs 315 crore. The urea production begun in 1976 and naphtha used as feedstock was supplied by Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).

The MCF has been manufacturing annually 6.5 lakh MT to 7 lakh MT of fertilisers (Urea, DAP, and complex fertilizer 20: 20), other specialty plant nutrients like water-soluble fertilizers, and micronutrients. The MCF requires around 0.85 mscmd (million standard cubic metres per day) of natural gas for the plant, he added.