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Phulpur Unit - Environment
IFFCO PHULPUR UNIT " AN INDUSTRY IN HARMONY WITH THE NATURE"
Waste Management, Natural Resource Conservation, Environment Protection and its enrichment has always been of paramount importance to IFFCO Phulpur Unit. We have adopted eco-friendly technology wherever possible. Due care is taken at the design stage itself, to select the best available technologies that produce low or negligible waste, conserve resources, and reuse treated effluents to the maximum possible extent. ‘Prevention is better than cure’ has been the basis of the Society’s pollution control programme. Environment monitoring and control at IFFCO Phulpur is efficiently met by providing all necessary instrumentation and pollution control measures for effluents, emissions, domestic sewage, and solid wastes.

With continuous efforts and its endeavours towards waste management IFFCO Phulpur has achieved Zero liquid effluent discharge from premises - a rare performance achievable by any similar industry. An effluent treatment cum recycle plant based on Reverse Osmosis Technology has been installed to treat industrial effluent. The product water is reused in process as cooling water make up. The domestic sewage water is treated in a well - designed sewage treatment cum recycle plant. The treated sewage water is fully reused in plant process and sewage sludge thus produced is utilized as manure in the farm lands of our Farmers Training Institute.

For monitoring the quality of ambient air, water and stack IFFCO has a monitoring laboratory equipped with most sophisticated and modern instruments. The monitoring staff is experienced and well qualified. This laboratory is recognized by the State Pollution Control Board because of its good monitoring capability. Our R & D unit is also recognized by Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.

Due to our excellent track record and well - established Environment Management System at IFFCO Phulpur, we have been granted consent from State Pollution Control Board continuously since Plant commissioning till date.

IFFCO Phulpur has an elaborate system for solid waste handling and utilization. Our strategy has been to reduce the pollutants at source by adopting appropriate technology and to convert waste into useful material.

Substantial Green Belt has been developed around the factory and Township to keep the environment quality in its most natural condition.


AWARDS / APPRECIATIONS ON ENVIRONMET & POLLUTION CONTROL:

IFFCO Phulpur Unit has won prestigious Environmental Awards from time to time, which are ample testimony of its excellent Environment Management System. Some of these awards are listed here under :

In recognition of its outstanding performance in Environment Management, Phulpur Unit has won the "BEST ENVIRONMENTAL AWAR" three times from Fertiliser Association of India, i.e., for the Year 1993-94, 1996-97 and 1997-98.

2nd Jawahar Lal Nehru Memorial National Award for best organization in implementing "POLLUTION CONTROL MEASURES" from International Green Land Society, Hyderabad.

IFFCO Phulpur has bagged "ENVIRONMENT AWARDS" for its excellent work in the field of Environment Management, by Rotary Club of Allahabad Midtown, for the year 1993-94.

The Regional Director, Ganga Project Directorate, Ministry of Environment & Forests, New Delhi has issued appreciation letters for the good Environment control at IFFCO Phulpur.

"First Position in Fertiliser Sector of Indo German Greentech Environment Excellence Award" New Delhi in Year 2002.

"TERI Corporate Environmental Award" from Tata Energy Research Institute, New Delhi in Year 2000-01 (in the category of companies having turnover more than Rs.500 crores per annum).


ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AT IFFCO PHULPUR.

LIQUID EFFLUENT MANAGEMENT:

All the liquid effluents generated from the various plants are subjected to extensive treatment to ensure that the treated water quality conforms to the specification laid down by the UPPCB and MINAS. For liquid effluent control, deep hydrolyser, distillation column, stripper and ETP based on steam stripping, disc. oil separator, treatment cum recycle plant on Reverse Osmosis technology, pH neutralization facility , guard pond, etc. have been installed and are operating efficiently. Adoption of Non-Chromate cooling water system in process plants has been done away with and menace of hazardous heavy metals like chromium has been eliminated.

ZERO EFFLUENT TECHNOLOGY:

IFFCO Phulpur has presently in operation, a single stream 1670 MT/Day Urea Plant commissioned in 1980 and a twin stream 2x1310 MT/Day Urea Plant commissioned in 1997, based on Snamprogetti’s patented Ammonia Stripping Process. Both the units have in-built waste water treatment section, where the urea bearing waste containing 1.25% Urea and 0.5% Ammonia is treated in deep urea hydrolyser with 35 ata steam. Product of hydrolysis, i.e., Ammonia and Carbon Dioxide are recycled back to process for increased production of Urea. The water is purified for reuse as boiler feed water after passing through Ion Exchange polisher unit. There is no effluent discharge from Urea plant.

977 MTPD and 1520 MTPD Ammonia Plants have been engineered and constructed by MW Kellogg (USA) and Haldor-Topsoe (Denmark), respectively and are based on naphtha as the feed stock. To achieve zero effluent discharge from the plant, it has process condensate stripper, condensate polishing unit to recycle process and turbine condensate for steam generation. About 180 M3 / Day jacket cooling water of Ammonia Plant - I is recycled into Ammonia cooling tower as cooling water make-up. Scheme has been implemented to reuse about 270 M3/day RV sealing water of Ammonia plant-I into cooling tower.

WATER CONSERVATION MEASURE:

IFFCO Phulpur is very conscious and careful towards resource conservation. Several water conservation schemes have been adopted right since inception of the plant for careful utilisation of the precious commodity, i.e., water. The entire effluent generated in the factory is recycled / reused after adequate treatment in plant process and irrigation of farm lands. The various water conservation measures adopted at IFFCO Phulpur are as follows:
  1. Treatment and reuse of process condensate and turbine condensate from Ammonia Plant:
    In Ammonia Plant, process condensate, i.e., about 2980 M3/day, is treated in the stripper for removal of its ammonical content. Further it is allowed to pass through a polisher unit to remove all dissolved salts contained in the process condensate. The polished condensate is pumped to plant and reused as boiler feed water.

    Turbine condensate from Ammonia Plant is also sent to condensate polisher unit of D.M. Plant for polishing in Ion Exchange units. The treated water is recycled and reused as boiler feed water for steam generation in Ammonia plant itself and steam generation plant.

  2. Reuse of Steam Condensate from Urea Plant:
    About 950 M3/day of steam condensate from surface condensate of turbo driven CO2 compressor system and approximately 2100 M3/day of steam condensate from process of Urea Plant-I & Urea - II are recycled to steam generation plant as a make up to boiler feed water.

  3. Treatment and Reuse of waste water of Urea Plant (Deep Urea Hydrolyser):

In order to recover the valuable Urea and Ammonia from effluents and make the effluents ( 2200 M3/ Day ) reusable, the deep urea hydrolyser (operating at 35 Ata and 230 deg. C) has been installed and operated.

BENEFITS:
Following benefits have been achieved :
  1. Recovery of ammonia and carbon dioxide from waste water for reuse in the process.
  2. Reduction in DM water production & saving of required chemical for regeneration of equivalent water.
  3. Reduction in quantity & improvement in quality of the effluents.
  4. Treatment and reuse of Off Spec. Ammonical & Deoiled Effluent.
    Off spec. Ammonical effluent and deoiled water from Ammonia and Urea Plant is treated in Ammonia stripper of effluent treatment plant. This treated effluent water is recycled & reused in water softening plant.

  5. Quench water / cooling water from I.G. Plant is directly pumped to water softening plant. This saves equal quantity of raw water.
  6. About 180 M3/day of jacket cooling water of Ammonia Plant-I is recycled into Ammonia cooling tower as cooling water make-up.
  7. About 100 M3 / day of flash tank condensate which comes out from Power Plant-I is pumped into Ammonia cooling tower as cooling water make-up.
  8. About 150 M3/day pump house ejector discharge is presently being recycled into water softening plant.
  9. About 270 M3 / day R.V. sealing water of Ammonia Plant - I is recycled in to Ammonia cooling tower-I.
  10. About 350 M3/day blow down water from boilers is recycled into power cooling tower.
  11. Total recycle of effluent through reverse osmosis effluent treatment plant:
    An effluent treatment cum recycle plant with a cost of Rs.8.8 crores based on Reverse Osmosis Technology has been installed to treat the Industrial liquid effluent e.g. regeneration effluent of D.M. Plant, cooling water blow down and surplus effluent water of Guard Pond. R.O. section is designed to give 85% recovery of product water. The product water is reused in process as cooling water make-up. The R.O. modules are made up of thin spirally wound composite polyamide membrane. This plant is a unique and pioneer effluent treatment plant in India Fertiliser Industry. Its Technology has been provided by M/s Hydranautics, California, U.S.A. The plant has been supplied by M/s Ion Exchange (India) Limited.

  12. Installation of sewage treatment cum recycles plant for treatment and reuse of treated sewage water into plant process.

We have installed a sewage treatment plant of 3000 M3/day capacity for treatment of township sewage water which is generated from our residential township. The treated sewage water is pumped to water softening plant and utilized as make-up water in our cooling towers. Treated sewage water is also utilized for irrigation of 150 acres of farm land of Moti Lal Nehru Farmers Training Institute, Phulpur.


Snaps of R.O. Plant ..


Snaps of Sewage Treatment Plant...

AIR POLLUTION CONTROL:

For Air emission control electrostatic precipitators, scrubbers for gaseous emissions, cyclone dust collectors, natural draft prill towers of substantial height, flare stacks, chimneys of adequate height for steam generation units have been installed and operated efficiently.

Adequate arrangement has been made for stack sampling and monitoring of pollutant level in flue gases. The stack emissions are always well with-in the prescribed limits stipulated by State Pollution Control Board & MOEF. Following stacks are regularly monitored for SPM, SO2, NOx, Ammonia etc.

Name of Stack Height of Stack from G.L.
Power Plant Stack (2 nos.) 100 m and 120 m
Urea Prilling Tower (2 nos.) 96 m and 104 m
Primary Reformer Stack (2 nos.) 33.528 m and 30 m
Hydrotreater Stack (1 no.) 49.20 m
Desulphurizer feed preheater 58.5 m
Raw Naphtha super heater 35.8 m
Naphtha feed stack super heater 34.2 m
HRU Stack 37.7 m

Five ambient air quality monitoring stations have been installed in consultation with U.P. Pollution Control Board. Ambient is monitored at the following stations:
  • Bore well No.-8
  • Railway Gate
  • Moti Lal Nehru Farmers Training Institute, Phulpur (CORDET)
  • Central School Ghiyanagar
  • Township Gate No.-4

The Ambient air quality is always well within the limits prescribed by statutory authorities.

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT:

Our strategy has been to reduce the pollutants at source by adopting appropriate technology and to convert waste into useful materials based on the key concept "Wealth from Waste". Gainful utilization of waste material has always been of paramount importance to IFFCO Phulpur Unit.

Adoption of non-Chromate System:

We have adopted non-chromate cooling water treatment, which has completely eliminated the menace of hazardous heavy metals like chromium.

Utilisation of Coal Ash Generated From Steam Generation Plant:

About 1.5 Lakh tonnes per year Ash is generated from coal fired boilers of IFFCO Phulpur. Fly ash generated in pulverised coal - fired boilers is disposed off to cement industries in eco-friendly closed tankers, for which a dry ash collection system, i.e., the Dense Phase Pneumatic Conveying system has been installed. With this mechanised system, it has been possible to load and despatch total fly ash generated from our coal-fired boilers to bonafide end users.

Following are the areas where coal ash is utilised as useful material :-
  1. Usar Land Reclamation
  2. Manufacture of fly ash bricks and clay-fly ash bricks.
  3. Manufacture of Portland Pozzolana Cement by Cement Industries.
  4. Back - filling of low -lying areas.

IFFCO Phulpur is also involved in following Environmental Programme / initiative related to solid waste utilization.
  1. Use of fly ash as a soil reclaimant alone or in combination with other soil reclaiming agent - IFFCO Phulpur along with Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi under Fly Ash Mission.
  2. Use of spent catalyst as source of micro nutrient for soil - IFFCO Phulpur along with Allahabad Deemed Agricultural University, Allahabad.


ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING FACILITY:

An environment laboratory well equipped with all necessary sophisticated instruments and equipments have been established in the factory to monitor the liquid effluent, stack emissions, ambient air quality, solid waste and Meteorological data. The major equipments include high resolution chromatographs, absorption spectrophotometers, U.V. and visible spectrophotometer, optical instruments, flame photometers, gravimetric analysis equipments, wind velocity and direction monitors and recorders, high volume samplers, duct flow velocity measuring instruments, isokinetic sampling device from ducts and other necessary equipments.

We also have a microbiology Lab. for microbiological analysis. In addition, we have also established testing facility for toxicity test of effluent with fish in our laboratory itself. The toxicity test of effluent of existing plant with fish is regularly done.

In addition to Environment Laboratory, IFFCO Phulpur is having an Environment and Pollution Control Section to fulfill statutory requirements laid down by various authorities and co-ordinating activities relating to environment among various sections.

GREEN SURROUNDING DEVELOPMENT:

The land provided for the factory and township was originally 'USAR' land and was lying unutilized from long time. IFFCO had taken a challenge to reclaim this usar land and it has been converted into a green land. 50 to 200m wide green belt has been developed around the complex. Today, the entire area is full of trees and vegetation.

About 2.8 Lakh trees of wide variety of about 30 species including some of medicinal species imparts scenic beauty besides providing suitable habitat for birds and other flora and fauna. The greenery and the scenic beauty of Sanjivani Vatika, Buddha Vihar, Nandan Udyan, Saras Kunj, etc. are remarkable and imparts healthy environment. The species of plants planted are Peepal, Neem, Shesham, Pakad, Jamun, Guava, Arjun, Amla, Bel, Kanji, Ashok, Casurina, Gulmohar, Amaltas, Harre, Bahera, Karenj, Bottlebrush, etc.

ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (ISO-14001 Accreditation ) :

IFFCO Phulpur has established and implemented Environment Management System as per International Organisation for Standardization. The system has been audited by Indian representative of M/s British Standards Institution, U.K. and the Unit has been accredited with ISO 14001 : 1996 Certification. IFFCO Phulpur has received ISO 14001 Certification for :
  1. Factory Premises.
  2. Residential Township, Ghiyanagar.
  3. IFFCO Hospital, Ghiyanagar.
  4. Moti Lal Nehru Farmers Training Institute, Phulpur located nearby the factory.

IFFCO Phulpur is having a well defined environmental policy. The policy states:

IFFCO Phulpur is conscious of its responsibility towards maintaining a safe and clean environment and is committed to :
  • Ensure Ecological balance and prevention of pollution.
  • Comply with relevant laws, regulations and society’s requirements.
  • Minimise waste by recycling / reutilization and optimize natural resource consumption.
  • Motivate the employees and community for betterment of environment through awareness programme.
  • Create Environment consciousness amongst the external agencies associated with Society’s activities.
  • Promote green surrounding through planting of trees around manufacturing and living areas.

ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES:
  • To plant minimum 8,000 trees in current year (2004-05).
  • To maintain zero effluent discharge from the premises (Except rainy season).
  • To keep SPM level below 200 ug/M3 in ambient air.
  • To keep raw water consumption below 7.0 M3/MT of Urea.
  • To dispose 200% of total coal ash generation (100% of day to day generation plus equal quantity disposal from ash ponds)
  • To develop new lawns (Minimum 1000 Sq.M) wherever space is available in plant premises.

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS PROGRAMME AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT MEASURES TAKEN:

To create awareness among people of surrounding area, several mass awareness programmes e.g. Kisan Mela, World Environment Day Celebration, lectures, etc. are organised by IFFCO Phulpur Unit time to time. These programmes encourage participation by all constituents of the society, e.g. farmers, technocrats, students and business community of surrounding area.

IFFCO’s philosophy does not end with manufacture of fertilizer only–it has unstinted commitment towards the upliftment of the surrounding community also.
  1. Distribution of sapling for forestry to the near-by villagers.
  2. Provision of clean drinking water in surrounding area.
  3. Construction of approach roads, culverts over nullahs, construction of class rooms / science rooms & boundary walls in schools.
  4. Organise various community development and welfare programmes like Kisan Mela, Pashu Mela, medical assistance, eye camps, health and family lanning camps, etc. In these camps free treatment and operation is done by a team of qualified doctors.
  5. Agricultural extension programmes e.g., balance fertilisation programme, soil testing, Seed treatment, Veterinary medical check-ups camps, Animal husbandry and Pisciculture campaigns.
  6. Organise training classes for handicraft, literacy programmes, computer awareness, artisan skills training programmes in surrounding villages. Computers have been donated in some of the nearby schools to educate the students on computer applications.
  7. IFFCO's Jan Kalyan Samiti in association with state innovation in family planning project services agency (SIFPSA) has done a lot of work for family welfare in 63 village of Phulpur Block e.g. family planning operation, cut insertion, distribution of oral pills, condoms and children vaccination.
  8. IFFCO's Mahila Chetna Club is also involved in social upliftment of the women of nearby villages. Training programmes on Silai Shiksha Kendra were organised in nearby villages to make them self sufficient for day to day house hold requirement girls / women were benefited in such training programmes.