Aluminium major Nalco has secured Pottangi bauxite mines in Koraput district of Odisha, an official here said on Wednesday.
The Pottangi mines with about 70 million tonnes of bauxite reserve would feed Nalco's proposed refinery project of one million-tonne-capacity at Damanjodi. The company's 22,75,000-tonne alumina refinery is located at Damanjodi.
"As per a recent order issued by Department of Steel and Mines, Odisha government, Nalco has been granted the mining lease of Pottangi with an area covering 1,738 hectares for 50 years," said a Nalco statement.
Nalco CMD Tapan Kumar Chand said: "It is Nalco's turn to live up to the expectations of the Centre and the state, as also of the people of Odisha, through expansion, investment and CSR initiatives."
Nalco has already got Utkal D and E coal blocks.
Nalco's expansion plans, including the proposed addition of 5th stream in its existing alumina refinery at an investment of Rs 5,600 crore, greatly depended on this additional source of bauxite, it added.
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Notably, the proposal of Nalco for setting up of a one mtpa alumina refinery (stream-5) at Damanjodi was approved by Nalco Board on December 10, 2014.
--IANS
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