Nalco plans to increase aluminium refining, smelting capacity

Rakesh Sood

New Delhi, Dec 10: State-owned National Aluminium Company (Nalco) has embarked on an ambitious expansion programme to enhance its aluminium refining and smelting capacity with an investment of Rs 4,200 crore.

Under the programme, new potline will be commissioned during the next fiscal to increase the aluminium smelting capacity from 2.3 lakh tonne to 3.45 lakh tonne.

The captive facility of 720 mw power plant at Anmgul will be raised to 960 mw with an investment of Rs 2,542 crore.

“This decision has been taken as the company plans to target the overseas market and the smelting plant and refineries needed upgraded technology to face the competition from the international players,” Nalco chairman and managing director SC Tripathi told The Financial Express.

He said Bauxite mining capacity at Damanjodi has already been increased to 4.8 lakh tonne from 2.4 lakh tonne and aluminium refinery capacity had been increased from the present 0.8 million tonne to 1.575 million tonne. The project cost on mines and refinery will be Rs 16,664.60 crore.

During 00-01, the company created new benchmarks in productivity and profitability. For the first time, the smelter plant crossed the rated capacity by producing 2.30.516 tonne. The company recorded remarkable performance by producing 28,34,189 tonne of bauxite and 9,39,000 tonne of calcined alumina this fiscal, Mr Tripathi said.

The company with Rs 2,408.60 crore turnover, including exports amounting to Rs 1,314.20 crore, registered the highest ever net profit of over Rs 655 crore this fiscal.

The company also recorded metal exports to the tune of 1,18,868 tonne and alumina exports stood at 4,95,723 tonne during the same period. The total metal sales also stood at 2,32,950 tonne, which is the highest during 00-01, Mr Tripathi added.