The Union Cabinet has approved revised energy norms for 14 urea plants, by allowing them an extension till March 31, 2023 to implement the new energy rules, CNBC TV18 reported citing sources.
The new norms for urea plants will reportedly be based on the gas consumed by those units. The Government aims to save on fertiliser subsidy by implementing these norms, ET NOW also reported separately citing sources.
Although they have been granted an extension, these plants will have to pay a penalty for non-compliance, the reports added.
Moneycontrol could not independently verify these reports.
Earlier this month, Fertilisers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had said that India aims to end imports of urea from 2025 as the country is boosting its local production capacity with the commissioning of new plants.
"We are aiming for ending our dependence on imported urea by 2025... our five new plants will be commissioned by then," Mandaviya had told reporters.
Production of indigenous local urea containing nanoparticles of the crop nutrient, also known as nano urea, would rise to 5 million tonnes by 2025, he added.
At present, India is one of the top importers of urea; it imports about 30 percent of its average 35 million tonnes of annual consumption of the crop nutrient.
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