Odisha okays expansion plans of Bhushan Steel, Utkal Alumina

BPSL has proposed to expand steel making capacity at its Thelkoli plant near Sambalpur from 2.8 mtpa to 5.5 mtpa

The state government has approved the expansion plans of Bhushan Power & Steel Ltd (BPSL) and Aditya Birla Group owned firm Utkal Alumina Ltd.

BPSL has proposed to expand steel-making capacity of its Thelkoli plant under Rengali tehsil near Sambalpur from 2.8 million tonne per annum (mtpa) to 5.5 mtpa at a cost of Rs 4,837 crore.

“The State Level Single Window Clearance Authority (SLSWCA) has approved the expansion plan and recommended it to the High Level Clearance Authority (HLCA). The project is slated to generate 998 additional jobs,” said Kalyan Mohanty, general manager of state-owned Industrial Promotion & Investment Corporation of Odisha Ltd (Ipicol).

The SLSWCA also okayed the expansion of Utkal Alumina to ramp up capacity of its alumina refining unit at Daruguda near Rayagada to 1.5 mtpa from the existing one mtpa. The investment in the refinery at full capacity is estimated at Rs 7,563 crore. This expansion plan has also been referred to HLCA. The SLSWCA headed by the state chief secretary is empowered to approve investment proposals up to Rs 1,000 crore while proposals beyond this investment figure needs the approval of HLCA chaired by the chief minister.

In the steel sector, the single window cleared two more proposals- pelletisation plants proposed by Ardent Steel and Pro Minerals.

Ardent Steel will pump in Rs 4,031 crore to expand pellet plant capacity from 0.6 mtpa to 1.8 mtpa at Phuljhar in Keonjhar district. The expansion is expected to generate incremental employment for 1,390 people.

Similarly, Pro Minerals is keen to establish one mtpa pellet plant at Basantpur in Keonjhar district at an investment of Rs 238 crore. The pellet unit is tipped to create direct employment for 192 persons. The company already has a beneficiation plant at the location.

In the cement sector, the SLSWCA approved the proposal of Ramco Cement to establish 0.9 mtpa cement grinding unit at a cost of Rs 406 crore. The plant will come up within the premises of Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys Ltd (IMFA) at Choudwar and create jobs for 105 people.

Kolkata-based Saraf Agencies’ plan to set up 15 Mw captive power plant (CPP) at Chhatrapur (in Ganjam district), the site of its upcoming titanium dioxide plant, also got the nod of the SLSWCA. The promoter would invest Rs 99.35 crore on the CPP that needs an additional manpower of 49.

Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) has proposed to create a storage tank, to be used as a common user facility, at Berhampur at an investment of Rs 280 crore. The oil marketing company would employ 622 people for this facility. This proposal too got the go-ahead from the SLSWCA.