NALCO Pushes $3.15B Aluminium Smelter Expansion in Odisha, Aiming for 2030-31 Launch

India's state-run National Aluminium Company Ltd (NALCO) is advancing a ₹30,000-crore (approximately US$3.15 billion) brownfield aluminium smelter project in Odisha, which will add 500,000 tonnes per year (tpa) of capacity and take its total smelting capacity to approximately 1 million tpa. The project is targeted for commissioning in 2030–31, according to a company exchange filing dated November 4.

The investment conversion is based on the SBI USD TT selling rate of ₹95.10 per US dollar on November 4, 2026.

The expansion will strengthen India's domestic primary aluminium production capacity and increase NALCO's presence in the global aluminium market. The company has entered into an agreement with Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) to license its proprietary smelting technology for the proposed Anugola plant.

Power supply will be supported by a 50:50 joint venture between NALCO and NLC India to develop a 1,080 MW captive thermal power plant comprising four 270 MW units. NALCO is also considering integrating 200–250 MW of renewable energy into the project.

The company has held a meeting of its Rehabilitation and Peripheral Development Advisory Committee to address land acquisition, compensation and rehabilitation issues related to the project.

On the raw material front, NALCO's fifth-stream alumina refinery expansion at Damanjodi is expected to support the new smelter's requirements. Any surplus alumina could be directed towards export markets, potentially adding to India's availability of exportable alumina.

Beyond the Anugola project, NALCO is evaluating locations for a separate 500,000-tpa greenfield aluminium smelter. The proposed development would provide another avenue to convert surplus alumina into primary aluminium and expand India's domestic metal production capacity.

The Anugola expansion forms part of NALCO's longer-term strategy to scale up aluminium production, strengthen its position in international markets and support the growth of India's downstream aluminium industry.