Sterlite Industries (India) today reported production growth in the second quarter of current fiscal in almost its entire product basket -- zinc, lead, silver, copper and power -- on improved plant efficiency.
However, the production of aluminium at Balco dipped by as much as 8% during the quarter, the company said in a statement.
The production of silver, zinc and lead in India, run by its subsidiary Hindustan Zinc, rose by 12%, 5% and 6% to 49,000 kg, 1.85 lakh tonne and 17,000 tonne, respectively.
Growth in silver production at Hindustan Zinc was because of higher silver content in the mined ore and improved plant efficiency, zinc on better operational performance and lead due to "volume contribution from the new one lakh tonne Dariba smelter, commissioned and capitalised during the quarter", it said.
However, total zinc-led production of the company through its operations outside India was 1.14 lakh tonne during the quarter, down 2% over the corresponding quarter last fiscal.
Copper cathode production was up by 28% at 87,000 tonne.
The company has sold 1,748 million units of power during the July-September quarter compared to just 463 million units in the corresponding period last year.
"The significant increase was mainly due to power sales from the new 2,400 MW power plant at Jhasuguda. However, coal supplies to Jharsuguda were adversely affected due to heavy rainfall in the coal belt, affecting our ability to generate power at our rated capacity," it said.
