Content Page

Objectives 01

Introduction 01

Organogram of Shahjalal Fertilizer Factory 01-04

Departments

1. Administration
2. Accounts
3. Commercial
4. Technical
5. Maintenance and Technical Service (MTS)
6. Operation
7. Health Safety and Environment Technology (HSET)

Production Process 04-05

Raw materials

Procedures

Quality of Urea

Machineries Used in Shahjalal Fertilizer Factory 05-06

Safety and Precautions 07

Discussion 08

Reference 08

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Objectives
To know about the total production process of the Shahjalal Fertilizer factory situated at
Fenchuganj, Sylhet.

1. Introduction
The Shahjalal Fertilizer factory is the largest fertilizer factory in Bangladesh. It is situated at Natural Gas
Fertilizer Factory (NGFF), Fenchuganj Upazila, Sylhet. The project was inaugurated by Bangladeshi Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina. It is the biggest project of Bangladesh after the Padma Bridge Project. The project
is owned by The Peoples Republic of Bangladesh. Total land is 447 acres, where total land acquired for
Factory is approximately 57 acres, approximately 108 acres for housing and others [1].

The cost of project was of BDT 5,409.000 crore (Five thousand Four hundred and Nine crore only) with
technical assistance from the United States of America and Netherlands. China supported financially.
The sanction was BDT 3,987.000 crore (Three thousand Nine hundred and Eighty-seven crore) in loans
to be repaid in 20 years with 2% interest rate. The rest of the fund came from the Peoples Republic of
Bangladesh [2]. The project was started on April 16, 2012, and commissioned on September 2016.
Jalalabad Gas Transmission and Distribution Systems Company supplies gas to the factory. There is a
water treatment plant beside the bank of the river Kushiara which is about 4 km away from the factory
site. Water is taken from the river and treated in the water plant. Then it is supplied through a pipe to
the factory site. Two water reservoir exist, each having capacity of 7,000 liters (Seven thousand liters).
There are two Steam Turbine Generators (STG). Each having capacity of generating 12 MW electrical
power.

2. Organogram of Shahjalal Fertilizer Factory

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2.1. Different Departments
2.1.1. Administration Department
The main job responsibility of an administrator is to ensure the efficient performance of all
departments in an organization. They act as a connecting link between the senior management
and employees. It is administrator, who makes the rules & regulations and applies these rules in
the factory. Top management of the factory is the managing director.

2.1.2. Accounts Department

The accounts department is responsible for recording and reporting the cash flow transactions
of a company. This department has some key roles and responsibilities,
including accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, financial reporting and maintaining
financial controls.

2.1.3. Commercial Department

The function of commercial department is to grow revenue, increase market share and
contribute to company growth and profitability.

2.1.4. Technical Department

Technical department supports the work of engineers, architects, quantity surveyors etc. They
have to use practical knowledge, but do not necessarily carry out manual tasks. Technical jobs in
the sector range from estimator, buyer, building technician, roofing technician, architectural
technician, civil engineering technicians, Computer Aided Design operative, construction
technician, plant technician, roofing technician, site engineer and site inspector.

2.1.5. Maintenance and Technical Service (MTS)

Under Maintenance and Technical Service, there are seven sub department namely as-
a. Plant Maintenance: Plant maintenance is concerned with actions taken by the plant user
to maintain an existing system and facilities or to restore it to an operating condition.
b. Machinery Maintenance: Machinery Maintenance is concerned with maintaining and
repairing factory equipment and other industrial machinery, such as production
machinery and packaging equipment. Install, dismantle, repair, reassemble and move
machinery in factories, power plants and construction sites.
c. Solid Handling Maintenance: Solid Handling Maintenance covers the composition of
stationary machinery such as conveyor belts, screw conveyors etc.
d. Central Workshop: The function of Central Workshop is to construct and fabricate some
machines, equipment etc.
e. Electrical Maintenance: Electrical maintenance revolves around maintaining and
repairing electronic equipment used in large facilities. Facets of the work include testing,
fixing and replacing equipment in buildings owned by corporations, government entities
and modern industrial plants.

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 f. Instrument Maintenance: Instrument Maintenance is concerned with maintaining
measurement systems for water and gas flow, level, pressure and temperature.
g. Power Plant: Power Plant is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power.

2.1.6. Operation Department

This involves the development of a project plan, devising a budget and controlling resources.
Effectively managing a project also involves developing policies and procedures to standardize
work throughout an organization. In addition, performing quality assurance or audits are
functions of an operations department.

2.1.7. Health Safety and Environment Technology (HSET)

HSET provides services and leadership in the areas of medical surveillance and environmental
monitoring, the treatment of occupational illness and injuries, fire safety, chemical safety,
laboratory safety, facility and equipment safety, employee safety, training programs and the
payment and adjudication of worker’s compensation claims [3].

3. Production Process
Production process of Shahjalal Fertilizer factory:
3.1. Raw materials:
The raw materials used in Shahjalal Fertilizer factory are as follows:
a. Natural gas: Supplied by Jalalabad Gas Transmission and Distribution System Limited.
b. Air: Consumed from the environment.
c. Steam: Carried out from the Kushiara river.

3.2. Procedures:
Ammonia Production: Natural gas and steam are pumped into a large vessel. Next, air is pumped
into the system, and oxygen is removed by the burning of natural gas and steam. These leaves primarily
nitrogen, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is removed and ammonia is produced by
introducing an electric current into the system. The reaction is shown as follows:
Gas + Steam + Air = Ammonia + Carbon-di-Oxide
Urea Production: Urea is produced from synthetic ammonia and carbon dioxide. As large
quantity of carbon dioxide is produced during the ammonia manufacturing process. The process consists
of two main equilibrium reactions, with incomplete conversion of the reactants. The first is carbamate
formation: the fast-exothermic reaction of liquid ammonia with gaseous carbon dioxide (CO2) at elevated
temperature and pressure to form ammonium carbamate

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 (H2N-COONH4). 2NH3 + CO2 ⇌ H2N-COONH4
The second is Urea Conversion: The slower endothermic decomposition of ammonium carbamate into
urea and water is shown below:
H2N-COONH4 ⇌ (NH2)2CO + H2O
The overall conversion of NH3 and CO2 to urea is exothermic, the reaction heat from the first reaction
driving the second.
Bagging: Urea is emptied onto a conveyor belt, which transports it to the bulk godown and then
to the bagging machine. Urea is typically supplied to farmers in large bags. To fill these bags the urea is
first delivered into a large hopper. An appropriate amount is released from the hopper into a bag that is
held open by a clamping device. The bag is on a vibrating surface, which allows better packing. When
filling is complete, the bag is transported upright to a machine that seals it closed. The bag is then
conveyored to a palletizer, which stacks multiple bags, readying them for shipment to distributors.
Utility: Heat recovery: The heat of the gas from the primary reformer is used to produce steam
for the primary reformer using a boiler.
Ammonia recovery: Gases purged from the ammonia synthesis loop and gases collected during ammonia
decompression are mixed and sent to the ammonia recovery system.
Total manpower involved in Bagging are approximately 200.

3.3. Quality of Urea:

Produced urea has the following quality:
Nitrogen (min) – 46.1% by wt.
Moisture (max) – 030% by wt.
Bluret (max) – 0.90% by wt.
Formaldehyde (max) – 035% by wt.
Granular size – 2–4 mm 90% (min).

4. Machineries
Machineries used in Shahjalal Fertilizer Factory for production are as follows:
4.1. Machinery in Ammonia Plant
 Primary Reformer: Primary Reformer is used to convert methane gas and water vapor into
hydrogen, oxygen, carbon mono oxide and carbon dioxide.
 Secondary Air Compressor: Secondary Air Compressor converts power into potential energy
stored in pressurized air.

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  Gas Tower: Gas Tower provides storage for the purified, metered gas. It acts as a buffer removing
the need for continuous gas production.
 Secondary Reformer: Secondary Reformer is the simplest way of introducing the Nitrogen
required for Ammonia synthesis.
 Economizer: Economizer is a device designed to make a machine or system more energy efficient.
 Super Heater: Super Heater is used to convert saturated steam or wet steam into superheated
steam or dry steam.
 Boiler: Boiler is a fuel burning apparatus or container for heating water.
 Condenser: Condenser is a device used to condense a substance from its gaseous to its liquid
state.
 Boiler Feedwater Pump: Boiler Feedwater Pump is a specific type of pump used to pump feed
water into a steam boiler.
 Turbine: Turbines convert the kinetic energy of a moving fluid or gas into rotational energy that
can be used to drive a dynamo and generate electricity.
 Striper: Striper is used to strip off carbamate using carbon dioxide.
 Absorber: Absorber is used to extract a substance from a gas by absorbing the substance into a
liquid.
 Resolver: Resolver is a type of rotary electrical transformer used for measuring degrees of
rotation.
 Dryer: Dryer is used for removing water vapor from compressed air.
 Compressor: The function of a compressor is to increase the pressure and corresponding
saturation temperature of the refrigerant vapor to high enough level so the refrigerant can
condense by rejecting its heat through condenser.
 Ammonia Storage Tank: Ammonia Storage Tank is used to store Ammonia.
 Booster: Boosters are used to increase gas pressure, transferring high pressure gas charging gas
cylinders.
 Instrument Air: Instrument Air refers to an extremely clean supply of compressed air that is free
from contaminants such as moisture.
 Ammonia Converter: Ammonia Converter leaks catalyst to create an aggressive environment for
the purpose to produce Ammonia.
 Cooling Tower: Cooling Tower is used to evaporate of water to remove process heat and cool the
working fluid.

4.2. Machinery in Urea plant

 Nitrogen Tank: Nitrogen Tank is used to store Nitrogen.
 Urea Converter: Urea Converter is used to convert ammonia and carbon dioxide into Urea.
 Granular Plant: Produced Urea is made granular in Granular Plant. Proper sized Urea are sent to
Bulk Godown and oversized Urea are sent back to make those proper sized.
 Bulk Godown: Bulk Godown stores Granular Urea where there are Reclaimers to recover bulk
materials.
There is a Central Control Room from where everything is controlled.
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5. Safety and Precautions
a. Regular maintenance plays a vital role to ensure safety.
b. Visitors are not allowed to touch any of the machine parts without permission.
c. It is seen that everyone follows safety instructions.
d. Everyone wears proper safety uniforms and equipment.
e. Everyone follows hazard related instructions (such as red lines).
f. It is observed that the toxicity of ammonia solutions does not usually cause problems for people
works there.
g. A storage vessel capable of 250 psi has been observed which contains ammonia. Ammonium
compounds does not come into contact with bases. So, dangerous quantities of ammonia gas do
not get released.
h. It is felt that the vapor of ammonia even in low concentration is extremely irritating to skin, eyes,
and respiratory passages. Proper gas mask should be use

Figure 2: Gas Mask used in fertilizer factory

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6. Discussion
Shahjalal Fertilizer Factory produces huge amount of fertilizer to meet the demand. It also costs less
money for per bag production. The factory is exporting urea to Africa and Europe continents thus earning
a lot of foreign currency which is making our economy strong. As it is one of the biggest project taken by
the present government, it creates a lot of job opportunities thus reduces the unemployment problems
in engineering fields. This visit has enriched our practical knowledge in depth. Besides student have come
to know about the responsibility of different engineers involved in the factory. There are about 100
engineering employees in the maintenance section. Occupational Safety Health section is under
development. There is a vast scope of job possibility for IPE graduates of Shahjalal University of Science
and Technology, Sylhet in the Shahjalal Fertilizer Factory.

Reference
1. Shahjalal Fertilizer Factory, Retrieved at April 08, 2017 from:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shahjalal_Fertiliser_Factory
2. Biggest fertilizer factory to be ready this year, Retrieved at April 08, 2017 from:
http://www.thedailystar.net/biggest-fertiliser-factory-to-be-ready-this-year-59337
3. Welcome to the department of Health Safety and Environment, Retrieved at April 08, 2017 from:
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/hse/

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