JSW Cement Limited, the cement arm of the JSW Group and a new entrant in the industry, is looking at doubling its cement production capacity to 400,000 tonne per month by March next year.
The company has a grinding facility at Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh with an installed capacity of 4.8 million tonne per annum (mtpa), of which, only 50 per cent of the capacity is being utilised.
“We are producing only 200,000 tonnes per month, and expect to double our production by utilising our full capacity at the Nandyal plant by March,” RC Sodani, director and chief executive officer of JSW Cement, said addressing the media here.
In addition to the Nandyal plant, JSW Cements has a 0.70 mtpa grinding facility at Vijayanagar in Bellary district of Karnataka, adjacent to its steel plant. It is planning to set up another 0.70 mtpa facility in Bellary at the steel complex with an investment of Rs 350 crore and a 4.3-mtpa facility at Gulbarga with a proposed investment of Rs 1,500 crore.
“We are in advance stage of negotiation with equipment suppliers for the Bellary plant. The plant may take 18 months to come into operation once we finalise the suppliers,” he said.
The company was awaiting clearances for the plant. “It may take around one-and-a-half years to get the approvals,” he said.
Targets Rs 2,200 cr turnover
JSW Cement is targeting a turnover of Rs 2,200-crore for the financial year 2013-14 once its total installed capacity goes on stream by March.
“Last year, we recorded Rs 1,200 crore turnover. Seeing the growing demand and rising infrastructure projects, the outlook is positive for next year,” Sodani said.
