India’s Chambal Fertilisers to build Gadepan technical ammonium nitrate plant

MUMBAI (ICIS)–India’s Chambal Fertilisers is building a greenfield 240,000 tonne/year technical ammonium nitrate (TAN) plant at its Gadepan complex in the northwestern Rajasthan state, a company source said on Wednesday.

The company plans to set up the TAN plant as well as a 210,000 tonne/year weak nitric acid (WNA) line at an estimated cost of Indian rupees (Rs) 16.45bn ($201m), the source said.

The plants are expected to commence operations by October 2025, he said.

The WNA unit will provide feedstock for the TAN plant.

“The demand for TAN in India outstrips the supply and many producers are forced to depend on imports,” the source said.

“Chambal currently produces excess ammonia at its fertilizer plants at Gadepan which is sold in the domestic market,” the source said.

The company plans to use this excess ammonia for the production of TAN, which will be mainly targeted at the Indian domestic market, he added.

The engineering, procurement and construction contract for the two projects was awarded to Indian engineering and construction firm Larsen &Toubro, the company said on 10 April.

Chambal Fertilisers currently operates three urea plants with a total production capacity of 3.4m tonnes/year at Gadepan in Kota. It also produces around 1.3m tonnes/year of ammonia at the site.

($1 = Rs81.96)