Nalco to Start 1.4m mt/yr Alumina Refinery by 2014

MUMBAI, Sept. 25 -- India's National Aluminum Co (Nalco) aims to commission a 1.4 million mt/yr alumina refinery in Andhra Pradesh state in 2013/14, executive director P.K. Mohanti said.

    The government of India has already accorded prior approval to Nalco's applications to mine the bauxite blocks at Gudem and Katamraju Konda in Andhra Pradesh, Mohanti said.

    These deposits are estimated to have 85 million mt of bauxite reserves, he said.

    The refinery project is expected to cost Rs 60 billion (USD 1.3 billion) and the detailed project report and feasibility report has been completed, he added.

    "We should start it very soon is all I can say now, there is some more paperwork and few more details to be finalized," said Mohanti.

    There are however no plans for an aluminum smelter in the state as there were no coal reserves, said Mohanti.

    Nalco plans to send alumina from its Andhra Pradesh refinery to smelters outside India that will be built by the time the refinery is commissioned.

    (Source: Metal Bulletin)