As a first move, the company has sought the Vishakhapatnam Port Trust's permission for acquiring a jetty to promote its trading business on the eastern coast. According to officials, the company is looking for similar opportunities on the west coast as well.

According to officials, the company has approached the port trust in response to an advertisement offering four jetties on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis. The port will evaluate the application and shortlist companies before opening a financial bid.

Among other fertiliser companies utilising the Vizag port's facilities, Coromandal Fertilisers and Mangalore Chemicals & Fertilisers are the prime users. The already has 19 jetties and plans to add four more this year.

RCF plans to invest around Rs 50 crore in the jetty at Vishakhapatnam which will be transferred back to theport after 30 years, sources said.

The jetty will have a capacity to handle one million tonnes of material per annum and the company is expected to fully utilise the capacity of the jetty by not only increasing its own trading business but also by leasing out the jetty to other companies when need be.

RCF, at present, imports phosphatic fertilisers like diammonium phosphate (DAP) and muriate of potash (MOP) which are sold in the local markets.

The company's trading portfolio is likely to expand to other fertilisers as well. In addition, RCF is also eying the export market for industrial chemicals.

Last year, the government had assigned RCF to handle urea imports and distribution at three ports: Vishakhapatnam, JNPT and Mangalore.

Further, the entire urea produce from the proposed Oman India fertiliser project will be imported into the country.

RCF being one of the local partners participating in the equity of the Oman project, would be required to import the material on behalf of the Indiangovernment. The project is designed to produce 3,600 tpd of ammonia and 4,400 tpd of granulated urea.