Mittal's Orissa plant will be port-based

LN Mittal-owned Arcelor-Mittal, the largest producer of steel in the world, today indicated that its proposed 12-million tonne steel project in Orissa would be a port-based plant.

"We will prefer to have a port-based plant here," Sanak Mishra, chief executive officer of Arcelor-Mittal's India operation, said.

Mishra was here along with two officers of the company to attend the first meeting of the joint working group set up by the state government recently to facilitate and expedite implementation of the project.

During the meeting, the state government suggested that the company choose from seven sites for the project's location.

The sites are situated across the four districts of Keonjhar, Bhadrak, Balasore and Ganjam. Of these, while one site belongs to Keonjhar, the latter three districts have two sites each on offer.

Incidentally, Keonjhar is located inland while the other three districts have long sea frontages. Bhadrak and Balasore are close to the upcoming Dhamra port and Ganjam has the Gopalpur port, which is currently being developed into an all-weather port with private participation.

The respective district collectors attending the meeting made a detailed presentation to the company on the locational advantages, communication and infrastructure facilities and availability of land at each of the possible sites.

Mishra said, apart from being shore-based, the selection of the site would depend on its proximity to road, railway line and mines. He said the company team would make site visits from tomorrow and conduct a comparative study before deciding on the location.

The meeting was chaired by RN Bohidar, agriculture production commissioner, in the absence of the chief secretary and was attended by Steel and Mines Secretary LN Gupta, CMD of the Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation (Ipicol) and the MD of the Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco).