International tender for setting up a fertiliser factory named 'Shahjalal Fertilizer Factory' at Fenchuganj has been invited for the sixth time.

Tender for the US$ 200 million project of BCIC was scheduled for closing on June 30, 2002 at the latest. The bids for the ammoniaurea fertilizer complex to be set up on the premises of existing Natural Gas Fertilizer Factory (NGFF) will now be received till 31 July 2002, official sources said.

In the year 1993, the tender was floated and deferred several times. Later, three parties responded to the re-tender, among those Chinese firm CNCEC offered buy-

ers' credit programme. But it was not accepted.

In 1997, another tender for letter of intent was floated when 23 companies responded. Among these, the short-listed companies were Technimont (Italy), Foster Wheeler (UK) and American Business Corporation for Development (ABCD) Inc. In 2000, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between the BCIC and the US firm ABCD but they failed to reach a final agreement on fixing the prices of gas and electricity.

I n late 2001, the present government decided not to proceed further with MOU. Accordingly, the authority floated new tender for the project under supplier's credit/soft loan

proposal.

When contacted, some BCIC officials said though the MOU was signed, it could not be proceeded as the conditions set by the company were found 'not acceptable' during the scrutiny.

The MOU was for conducting a feasibility study only, said an official. Besides, the terms for supplying gas to the proposed plant at reduced rate and power supply arrangement was almost against the national interest, he added.

Once established, the proposed plant will have a daily production capacity of 1,000 metric tons and the annual capacity of 3,30,000 metric tons of granular urea.