Vedanta to double Odisha refinery capacity by 2015-end

Vedanta Resources has planned to double the capacity of its one-million-tonne per annum alumina refinery in Odisha by the end of next year, its chairman Anil Agarwal said here Tuesday.

It can ramp up its capacity to full six million tonnes in another two years only if it gets adequate supply of bauxite, the main raw material required to produce alumina, Agarwal told reporters here after meeting Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik with whom he discussed the problems his plant has been facing due to shortage of raw material.

The Britain-based Indian businessman said the one-million-tonne refinery at Lanjigarh in state's Kalahandi district has been currently sourcing bauxite from other states.

"We are operating the plant by sourcing bauxite from states like Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. We are also importing bauxite from Guinea and various other countries," he said.

Agrawal said his company has already invested over RS.50,000 crore in the aluminium project in the state and is making further investment of about Rs.10,000 crore as the cost of the project has escalated.

"We have already made the power plant and created other basic facilities to expand the capacity to six million tonnes," he said.

"It we get all the necessary approvals, and required bauxite, the full six million tonnes capacity could be commissioned in another two years' time," he said.

"We are exploring two-three options for bauxite. That includes bauxite deposits allotted to Larsen & Toubro (L&T) in the state. The company is also exploring possibilities of a few other local mines."

On the state government recently granting prospecting license for two laterite deposits (low bauxite content) in favour of Vedanta, he said it would provide a short-term relief.