Team Herald
PANJIM: Zuari Agro Chemicals Ltd has approached the Union Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) seeking an environmental clearance (EC) for the proposed expansion of its plant with additional fertilizer production capacity of 300 metric tonnes per day at Zuarinagar, Mormugao.
The company has approached the Expert Appraisal Committee of the Ministry with its proposal “Expansion of Urea Plant from 1500 MTPD to 1800 MTPD’ in an area of 95 acres”. Goa State Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has already recommended the proposal for Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance.
The proposal came up during the latest meeting of the committee, however, it was deferred as GCZMA had not yet informed the Ministry about the CRZ clearance.
The project is covered under category A of item 5(a) ‘chemical fertilizers’ of the Schedule to the Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006, and hence requires appraisal at the central level by the EAC in the Ministry.
The Terms of Reference (ToR) for the project were granted on February 18, 2016, and the public hearing was conducted by the State Pollution Control Board on July 11, 2016.
Earlier, the Ministry had issued EC in September 2009 for a revamp of the ammonia plant for changeover of feedstock and fuel from Naphtha to NG/RLNG and reduction of specific energy consumption along with debottlenecking the capacity of ammonia-urea plants, changeover of fuel from FO to NG/RLNG in the utility boiler as also debottlenecking the capacity of NPK plant A & B along with product mix change’.
