Wata Chemicals, a listed company, yesterday opened its second sulfuric acid plant built at an investment of nearly Tk 30 crore.

Sulfuric acid is mostly used in production of fertiliser, in refining water and petroleum and in manufacturing other chemicals such as hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, sulfate salts, synthetic detergents, and dyes and pigments.

"Almost all the industries need sulfuric acid, so they will benefit from the new plant," said Golam Dastagir Gazi, textiles and jute minister, while inaugurating the plant in Narayanganj.

The plant has created some jobs and will reduce import of the chemical as well, he said, adding that Bangladesh needs more industrial units to become a developed country.

Md Nazrul Islam, managing director of the company, said 25-30 percent of the total demand for sulfuric acid was met by imports currently.

"With the new plant, our production capacity will increase by 30,000 tonnes annually from previous 18,000 tonnes. As a result, the import of the chemical may go down." The minister said industrialists would have to look after the local community while setting up factories, so that their lives are not affected by industrial pollution.

"Nowadays, new technologies are available which can help reduce industrial pollution. Industrialists are also aware of the technological development."

Islam says Wata Chemicals is using new technologies so that adjacent farmlands are not affected.

The company supplies the product to battery and fertiliser factories and the water purifying units of the government, said Md Ali Ahsan, chief financial officer of the company.

Wata Chemicals' shares fell nearly 1 percent to Tk 530 on February 27, the last trading day of the week.