The Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited (TNPL) is planning to invest over Rs 370 crore during the present fiscal. The proposed investments include setting up a cement manufacturing facility, de-inking plant among others.
Tamil Nadu Industries Minister S P Velumani said, the Mill Expansion Plan (MEP) was implemented at a capital outlay of Rs 1,000 crore to increase paper production capacity from 245,000 tonnes per annum to 400,000 tonnes per annum. The in-house pulp production capacity was increased from 720 tonnes per day to 820 tonnes per day. The installed capacity of 400,000 tonnes per annum is expected to be achieved during 2011-12. TNPL has started its pulpwood plantations for the first time during 2004-05 through two distinctive schemes — farm forestry and captive plantation schemes. So far 67,055 acres of land have been brought under cultivation. A coverage of 100,000 acres by 2012- 13 is being targeted, said the minister.
During the present fiscal, TNPL is planning to convert some of the waste materials — lime sludge and fly ash — generated in the process of the manufacture of paper into high grade cement, TNPL is setting up a 600 tonnes per day cement plant at a capital outlay Rs 69 crore.
The project is scheduled to be completed by December 2011. To supplement the in-house pulp production to meet the full requirement, TNPL is installing a 300 tonnes per day state-of-art de-inking Plant (DIP) at a capital outlay of Rs 174 crore. This project is scheduled to be completed by March 2012.
It is also implementing the scheme to revamp the steam and power generation system at a capital outlay of Rs 135 crore. The major equipment required for the scheme have been ordered and the project is scheduled to be completed by April 2012, the minister added.
