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The $12.9 billion Vedanta Group's Sesa Sterlite Ltd - Sterlite Copper is set to take up the Rs 2,500-crore expansion at its copper smelter plant in Tuticorin.
P Ramnath, chief executive officer, Sesa Sterlite Ltd - Sterlite Copper, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources, confirmed the company met Tamil Nadu industries minister P Thangamani and principal secretary - industries C V Shankar, and made a presentation.
"We are waiting for some approvals, while simultaneously we have initiated an environmental impact study, which will be submitted to the government soon. In 6-8 months, the process will be complete and the target to complete the expansion is 2017," said Ramnath.
The company would double the copper manufacturing capacity to 400,000 tonne per annum and set up a 2x80 Mw power project under the plan. Post the proposed expansion, this would be Asia's largest copper manufacturing facility in a single location. The factory supplies 45 per cent of the country's copper requirement.
The plant, located on the southern tip of the state, earlier faced legal battles over alleged environmental issues.
In 2008, the company had sought government's nod for the proposed expansion. However, it was alleged that emission from the facility was beyond the prescribed limit. NGOs and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) approached various courts, and this led the company to shut the factory on different occasion.
Last fiscal, the plant was shut for nearly 85 days due to environment problems.
However, the company denied the allegations and took up the matter with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) stating it had invested around Rs 500 crore in environmental control measures. Finally, after several rounds of battles, the company got a clean chit from the NGT and also from the Supreme Court mid-last year.
Ramnath said the company had invested around Rs 150 crore to implement the 31 recommendations, including setting up of a bag house and flue gas de-sulphurisation system, suggested by the NGT. Besides, it had also deposited Rs 100 crore with the district administration as directed by the Supreme Court in its order in April last year.
In 2012-13, the plant generated Rs 18,908 crore revenues to the group and in 2013-14 (July-March) this stood at Rs 16,345 crore. Contribution to the exchequer was Rs 1,760 crore and Rs 1,330 crore respectively during the period.
