Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Sunday laid the foundation stone for the construction of the country's first liquid oxygen plant. The event was organized virtually. During his address, PM Oli said that the establishment of this plant is an important decision in view of oxygen shortage during the epidemic. As they will be insufficient at the time of a pandemic. The liquid oxygen plant will be important in meeting the deficit in oxygen supplies.
Shankar Oxygen Gas Pvt. Ltd, the sole importer of liquid oxygen in Nepal, also plans to set up its own liquid oxygen plant. According to Xinhua News Agency, this plant of the company will be in the southwest area of Bhairwaha. In May, Covid-infected patients were not given admission in hospitals because there was a severe shortage of medical oxygen along with lack of beds.
After this situation, the Nepal government had made it mandatory for hospitals with over 100 beds to establish their own oxygen plants. According to the company, the plant will have a production capacity of 60 tonnes per day. With more production, it can exported to neighboring countries. Apart from this, it will also used in the industrial sector.
Meanwhile, Gaurav Sharda, president of the Oxygen Industry Association of Nepal said, "Though having a liquid oxygen plant in the country is better than importing it from India, I don't see the feasibility of a liquid oxygen plant in Nepal due to the high investment and already saturated domestic oxygen market in normal times. The pandemic will not last forever, and demand for oxygen will drop sharply after the situation normalizes."
