Urea Manufacturing Plant (IFFCO)
- Summer Training Report
A comprehensive overview of the urea production process at Indian Farmers
Fertilizer Co-operative Ltd (IFFCO) Phulpur Unit, Allahabad.
Training Duration: June 2 - July 2, 2025
IFFCO: An Overview
Founded on November 3, 1967, Indian Farmers Fertilizer Co-operative Ltd (IFFCO) was created as a multi-unit cooperative society engaged in the production and
distribution of fertilizers. The organization was established to overcome the dependency of the cooperative sector on public/private suppliers.
1967 1
IFFCO established with 57 cooperative societies
2 1975
Commissioned ammonia-urea plant at Kalol and NPK/DAP plant at
Kandla
1981 3
Phulpur unit established in Uttar Pradesh
4 1988
Aonla unit commissioned
1999 5
Completion of Kandla phase-II, realizing Vision 2000 objectives
IFFCO's mission is to improve service to farmers and harness earth's bounty to drive hunger away from India in an ecologically sustainable manner.
IFFCO Phulpur Unit: Departments
Ammonia Plant
1
Two plants (Ammonia-I and Ammonia-II) each designed to produce 1350 MTPD liquid ammonia using natural gas and naphtha as raw materials.
Urea Plant
2
Two streams with capacity of 1100×2 MTPD, converting ammonia and carbon dioxide into urea.
Power Generation Plant
3
18 MW capacity using 200 MT/hr steam to produce electricity for IFFCO's operations.
Offsite
4
Includes raw water treatment, cooling towers, ammonia storage, inert-gas generation, and compressed air systems.
Product Handling
5
Department for urea storage and bagging with two silos.
The Phulpur Unit has a total production capacity of 36 lakh MT per annum of ammonia and 62 lakh MT per annum of urea.
Urea: Properties and Uses
Properties of Urea Uses of Urea
• Chemical formula: CO(NH₂ )₂ • Agricultural fertilizer (>90% of production)
• Molecular weight: 60.06 • Raw material for chemical compounds
• Nitrogen content: 46.6% • Production of urea-formaldehyde resins
• Color: White • Adhesives for marine plywood
• Melting point: 132.7°C • Component in explosive materials (urea nitrate)
• Specific gravity: 1.335
Urea has the highest nitrogen content of all solid nitrogenous fertilizers, resulting in the lowest transportation costs per unit of nitrogen
nutrient. In soil, urea is transformed to the ammonium form by bacteria possessing the urease enzyme.
Urea Manufacturing Process Overview
The IFFCO plant uses SNAMPROGETTI TECHNOLOGY for urea production, consisting of six main sections:
Synthesis & HP Recovery
160 bar pressure
MP Purification
17 bar pressure
LP Purification
3.5 bar pressure
Vacuum Concentration
0.3 and 0.03 bar abs
Process Condensate Treatment
Finishing
Prilling and granulation
The process is based on the reaction of ammonia and carbon dioxide in a urea reactor, with all other units designed to maximize plant efficiency. Key operating variables include temperature (180-210°C), pressure (140-250 atm), and NH₃ :CO₂ mole ratio (3:2).
High Pressure Section
The high pressure section consists of four essential equipment:
• Reactor: Where ammonia and CO₂ react to form urea (32% by weight)
• HP Stripper: Operating at 147 atm/190°C, where unconverted carbamate is
decomposed using Henry's Law
• Carbamate Condenser: Where ammonia and CO₂ react to form ammonium
carbamate
• Carbamate Separator: Passes liquid carbamate back to reactor and urea to
High Pressure Stripper
MP decomposer
In the HP Stripper, excess ammonia increases partial vapor pressure, forcing
carbamate decomposition according to the reaction:
NH₂ COONH₄ ⥨ 2NH₃ (Liq.) + CO₂ (g)
Medium and Low Pressure Sections
Medium Pressure Section (17 bar) Low Pressure Section (3.5 bar)
The MP Decomposer has three parts: Further stripping of ammonia and carbon dioxide occurs at 3.5
bar g. Vapors containing ammonia and CO₂ are condensed and
• MP Separator (top)
recycled to the reactor via the MP section.
• MP Decomposer (middle)
A collection tank stores solutions during plant shutdowns,
• MP Urea solution holder (bottom)
ensuring no solutions are discharged. Urea concentration
Pressure drops from 147 atm to 18 atm, causing solution to reaches 70%.
flash. Temperature decreases from 207°C to 140°C. Urea
concentration reaches 62%.
Vacuum Concentration &
Condensate Treatment
Vacuum Concentration Process Condensate Treatment
The 70% urea solution undergoes This section purifies waste water
final concentration to 99.8% in two from:
vacuum steps:
• Drain collecting tanks
• First step: 0.3 bar abs • Vacuum condensers
• Second step: 0.03 bar abs
Ammonia and CO₂ are recovered in
Pre-concentration raises urea to distillation towers, while urea is
about 86% by weight. The process decomposed in the hydrolyser. The
minimizes temperatures and purified water contains only 0-1 ppm
residence times to keep biuret of urea and 3-4 ppm of ammonia.
formation at minimum values.
Urea Prilling Process
Prilling is the technology used to manufacture solid urea with commercially valid
characteristics:
• Molten urea (99.8%) is sprayed at the top of the prill tower
• Tower height: 72.5m effective height, 94m total height from ground
• A rotating bucket with holes in its side surface disperses urea droplets
• Centrifugal force pushes liquid urea through the holes
• Natural draft air cools and solidifies the falling droplets
• Spherical urea particles (prills) are collected at the bottom
• Recent modification: Neem oil coating applied through nozzles on the belt Prilling Tower
Final Product Specifications
46.21% 0.38% 0.94% 412ppm
Nitrogen Content Moisture Biuret Neem Oil
Total N₂ % by weight (on dry Maximum moisture content by Maximum biuret content by Minimum neem oil content
basis) weight weight
Particle size distribution of prilled urea:
Prill size +2.8 +2.36 +2.0 +1.7 +1.4 +1.0 -1.0
(mm)
Weight % 1.37 7.12 26.60 54.24 7.17 3.02 0.48
According to fertilizer control order, 90% of the material must pass through 2.8mm IS sieve and not less than 80% by weight must be
retained on 1mm IS sieve.
Conclusion and Key Learnings
This training report has provided a detailed insight into the complex yet highly efficient process of urea manufacturing at the IFFCO
Phulpur Unit. Key takeaways from this experience include:
1 Comprehensive Process Understanding 2 Operational Criticality
Gained an in-depth understanding of the SNAMPROGETTI Learned about the precise control of operating variables
technology, covering all six main sections from synthesis to (temperature, pressure, NH₃ :CO₂ ratio) crucial for optimal
finishing. reaction and yield.
3 Efficiency & Sustainability 4 Product Quality Assurance
Observed the plant's focus on recovering and recycling Understood the significance of prilling and final product
unconverted raw materials, and treating process specifications to ensure high-quality urea for agricultural
condensates for environmental compliance. applications.
The experience underscored the blend of chemical engineering principles and large-scale industrial operations required for successful
fertilizer production.
