9° 58' 30" N, 76° 21' 44" E 

February 17, 2012 - Kochi Refinery, operated by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), is understood to be planning to build a pipeline to transport molten sulphur from its refinery in Ambalamugal to Fertiliser and Chemicals Travancore Ltd (FACT), as part of the phase I of its Rs 12,000-crore expansion plan to boost refining capacity, a source close to the project said.  The refinery is yet to announce a detailed proposal for the pipeline project, which could include a sulphur handling terminal, though the source said that discussions have been initiated with FACT. "It is a very good possibility at the moment.  Setting up a sulphur link makes strategic sense for us and will also serve FACT's raw material requirements," the source said. Kochi Refinery is presently scouting for a joint venture partner for a new sulphur recovery unit which is part of its Phase I expansion plans to improve refining capacity from 9.5 MMTPA (Million Metric Tonnes Per Annum) to 15.5 MMTPA by 2016.  The new sulphur recovery unit which is part of the six new units coming up under the integrated expansion plan, will raise the refinery's sulphur production capacity to 260 TMT (Thousand Metric Tonnes) annually from 48 TMT at present.  "FACT's sulphur requirements are estimated in the region of 200 TMT (Thousand Metric Tonnes) or more annually and the new facilities will be equipped to handle thatOnce Phase I of the expansion is in final stages of completion we will look to work on the pipeline to meet FACT's supply requirements," the source said. Besides the sulphur recovery unit, BPCL, which acquired Kochi refinery in 2006, will award engineering, procurement and construction contracts for a crude distillation unit, vacuum gas oil hydro treating unit, diesel desulphurisation unit, petro-fluidised catalytic cracking unit and a naphtha hydro treatment unit.  Vimta Labs has conducted an Environmental Impact Assessment study and has given the go-ahead to the Refinery's expansion plan. A feasibility report is expected to be placed before the BPCL board next month.

October 24, 2011 - Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Ltd., or FACT, has chalked out a major expansion-cum-diversification plan involving an investment of Rs.5,975 crore for which the company has invited expressions of interest or EoIs from public sector undertakings to invest in joint ventures or other appropriate business models, reports said.  It has identified projects such as new sulphuric acid plant, urea plant, NP Complex Fertilizer plant, SSP (single super phosphate) plant and Ammonia urea complex for which substantial investment is required.  The company plans to set up these projects in Kochi and will provide land and available infrastructure facilities to the joint venture as its share of the equity. It will also provide design and consultancy services through its design organization FEDO. The design and consultancy would also form part of FACT's equity contribution, the company officials said.  Sulphuric acid plant is planned having a capacity of 2,000 tpd (tonnes per day) at a cost of Rs.265 crore to meet the present deficit and also meet the additional requirement on account of the proposed revamp of the phosphoric acid plant. There is a deficit between the production and consumption of sulphuric acid in the Cochin Division of 800 tpd.  The 1,500 tpd urea plant and associated facilities is planned at an estimated cost of Rs.930 crore. The production was suspended from 2003. The market survey indicates a demand-supply gap of at least 8 million tonnes by 2020. Recently, the Indian Government has been encouraging fertiliser companies to revive production of urea to meet shortages and reduce exports. Besides, the company requires about 3 lakh tonnes per annum of urea to cater to the market requirements of southern States.

October 19, 2011 - Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Limited (FACT), a public sector major in the field of fertiliser and petrochemical production, has called for expression of interest (EoI) from PSUs for joint venture companies for projects such as a new sulphuric acid plant, urea plant, NP complex fertilizer plant, SSP plant and ammonia-urea complex.  The sulphuric acid plant has been proposed at the Cochin division of the company. There is a deficit of 800 tonnes per day between production and consumption of sulphuric acid in Cochin division of FACT.  The proposed plant will have a capacity of 2,000 tpd and will entail an investment of around Rs 265 crore.  Production of urea in the Cochin division has been suspended since 2003 as the operations have become economically unviable.  However, a market survey indicates a demand-supply gap of at least 8 million tonnes by 2020. FACT alone requires about 300,000 tonne urea per annum to cater to southern states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.  To meet this, the company has planned to set up a urea plant at the Udyogamandal division of a single train of 1,500 tpd. The new plant will be an add-on unit to the existing 900 tpd ammonia plant, which is based on Haldor Topsoe technology.  The capital investment for the plant and associated facilities has been estimated to be Rs 930 crore.  The company also proposes to set up a new integrated complex fertiliser production facility for manufacturing multiple NP grades at the Cochin division. It plans to increase the annual complex fertiliser production to 1 million tpa (tonnes per annum) by installing an additional 1,000 tpd NP plant using outsourced ammonia, phosphoric acid and sulphuric acid.  The estimated cost is Rs 220 crore. Besides, a 500 tpd capacity SSP plant at Udyogamandal has also been proposedat a cost of about Rs 60 crore.  FACT also intends to set up an ammonia-urea complex at the Cochin division as a part of its plans to revive urea production. The proposed complex will consist of an ammonia plant of capacity 2,000 tpd and a urea plant of 3,500 tpd. The cost of this venture is expected to be Rs 4,500 crore.  It will provide land and available infrastructure facilities like water to the JV as its share of the equity. It will also provide design and consultancy services through its design organisation FEDO, company sources said.  The company has invited expression of interest from builders, developers, architects and agents/dealers to assess their capability to be prequalified parties to design and construct dwellings using FACT-RCF Building Products Ltd (FRBL) building products or distribution of FRBL products.  FRBL is a joint venture of FACT and RCF for producing building products using gypsum.