Vedanta to double refinery capacity

BHUBANESWAR: Vedanta Group chairman Anil Agarwal on Tuesday said capacity of the alumina refinery at Lanjigarh would be doubled by 2015-end.
"We would increase it to two million tonne per annum (MTPA) by next year-end, subject to the Centre giving necessary approvals this year," Agarwal told the media here. "We aim to take our capacity to six MTPA within two years.We already have the infrastructure and power plant for it," he added.
He also exuded confidence that the project would overcome the problems it is facing for its failure to mine the ecologically-sensitive Niyamgiri hills.
Agarwal, who met chief minister Naveen Patnaik during the day, said the company had invested over Rs 50,000 crore and planned to put in another Rs 10,000 crore to ensure that both its refinery and 1.8 MTPA smelter (in Jharsuguda) run full throttle.
"We are currently importing bauxite and alumina from within the country and outside to operate our facilities way below capacity. We hope the government would help us get assured raw material linkage soon," he said. "Once our units become fully functional, about 100 more downstream industries can come up and create huge employment in the state," he said.
Over the past few years, the company had run into controversy over its bid to mine the bauxite reserves at Niyamgiri, which is home to the particularly vulnerable Dongaria Kondhs. The much hue and cry and a Supreme Court's order, locals rejected the mining proposal, forcing Vedanta to explore alternatives. In 2012, the company had to shut down its plant for some months due to bauxite shortage. "We are weighing two-three other options, including mines allotted to Larsen & Toubro (L&T). But it is for the state government to decide. We are very hopeful of getting bauxite from within Odisha," he said. On the group's proposed Vedanta University in Puri, Agarwal said, "We are awaiting the Supreme Court verdict. I am very keen as the project is close to my heart, but I would look forward to public support to go ahead with it."