Power tripping causes Udayapur Cement to lose 30 pc productivity

Udayapur, May 27: Udayapur Cement Industry Limited has been losing about 150 metric tones of cement production per day due to power tripping.

The one of the two government owned cement industries that registered profits for the first time since its establishment in 1987 is forced to shut for as much as 10 times a day due to power fluctuations and outage.

General Manager of the company Surendra Poudel said that the electricity was a major challenge in plant operation and cement production.

“We are facing as much as 30 per cent capacity deficit due to electricity fluctuation and outage. It takes more than an hour to restart the entire machine system even if the power is cut just for a couple of seconds,” he said.

In monetary terms, the industry is losing at least Rs. 30 million in a month.

Speaking to a group of journalists, members of the trade union at the company said in one voice that smooth supply of electricity could not only boosts the production of the industry but also reduces the cost of production.

They blamed the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) for ignoring the request of the company for a long time.

“The factory is forced to shut down more than seven times a day due to electricity problem. If smooth electricity supply is insured, it could produce additional 100 to 150 tons per day,” said Tribikram Gyawali, chairman of Gefont Sagamatha Zonal Committee.

Assistant Mechanical Engineer of the company Ashok Kumar Shah stated that the factory had also sought alternative to the problem by installing generators.

“But, installing a generator and inverter for the uninterrupted power supply can cost more than Rs. 100 million. As the company was running in loss for so many years, it didn’t have resources to manage it,” said Shah.

According to Gyawali, though there was a dedicated feeder for interrupted power supply, more than 500 local households, small and cottage industries and other businesses are using the electricity from the same line.

Though the NEA was requested to supply electricity to those customers through a different supply line, it has not been implemented yet.

As a result, the industry is not getting smooth electricity supply even though it has been paying double charges for the electricity.

A delegation of the workers had reached to the NEA Udayapur Distribution Center, and went to Kathmandu to meet NEA Managing Director Kulman Ghishing.

“NEA is positive to resolve the problem as soon as possible. But, result is yet to be seen,” said Chakra Bahadur karki, president of All Nepal Industrial Workers Union Udayapur.

However, GM Poudel is hopeful that the power problem would be sort out in a couple of days.

The NEA source in Kathmandu said that the problem of electricity at the industry would not remain for long.

Constructed by Japanese companies Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Tomen Corporation, the industry has the capacity of producing 800 metric tones of cement per day.

But the company management said that the capacity could reach up to 1100 tonnes with general modification in the machines.

It has been producing ordinary portland cement (OPC) in ‘Gainda’ brand which is the most sought after cement brand in the country although it is expensive by Rs. 30 at the factory and by Rs. 100 in the Kathmandu Valley.

(Published in The Rising Nepal Daily, 28th May 2017)