In order to meet the oxygen demand for COVID-19 patients, fertiliser companies will soon start supplying 50 metric tonnes of medical oxygen per day. Minister of State for Chemical & Fertilizers, Mansukh Mandaviya, chaired a meeting to explore possibility of production of oxygen in their plants, with fertilisers companies of public sector, private sector as well as co-operative sector.
Mandaviya called upon the fertiliser companies to help the society during this pandemic time by reorienting their existing capacity of oxygen production and augmenting the supply of medical grade oxygen to the hospitals. The fertiliser companies welcomed the initiative of MoS and readily shown interest to join the efforts of Government of India to fight COVID -19 situation in the country. The outcome of the meeting is as follows;
- Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO) is putting up an oxygen plant with capacity of 200 cubic meters per hour in its Kalol unit in Gujarat and their total capacity would be 33,000 cubic meters per day.
- Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals (GSFC) made small modification in their plants and started supplying liquid oxygen.
- Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers Company (GNFC) has also started supply of liquid oxygen for medical purpose after starting of air separation unit.
- GSFS and GNFC has already started process to enhance their oxygen production capacities.
- The other fertiliser companies will set up medical plants in hospitals and plants at selected locations in the country through CSR funding.
Altogether, it is expected that approximately 50 metric tonnes (MT) of medical oxygen per day can be made available for COVID patients by the fertiliser plants. These steps will augment the medical grade oxygen supply to hospitals in the country in the coming days.
