In a significant development, the Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta’s Sterlite Copper on Monday invited expressions of interest (EoIs) for carrying out plant restart activities at its Tuticorin unit in Tamil Nadu, which has got the go-ahead for undertaking maintenance work only for the time being.
The group published an advertisement in leading English dailies seeking EoIs from the interested parties even as the company awaits the final judgement on the issue.
Also read: Digital lending volumes rise 131% in FY23: Report
Sources in the know told FE that while the company has initiated the upkeep activities at the plant as allowed by the Supreme Court, it is quite optimistically looking for the final hearing of the matter that is scheduled for August 2023.
“The EoI is floated to ensure the best partners are identified as part of the company’s advanced preparatory measures while it awaits final outcome,”they said. The EoI stated that, interested parties should be capable of employing around 4,000 people (both skilled and unskilled) in and around Tuticorin. The scope of the EoI includes safety assessment and audit of the structures and building, repair and rectification, engaging with OEM or experts for certification, replacement of plants & machinery and commissioning of plant & machinery to achieve the designed capacity.
In addition, the interested parties should also look at mechanical fabrication and electrification works, electrical and instrumentation works, material handling equipment, scaffolding and painting jobs, civil & associated works and repair works, among others.
Sterlite Copper has been given orders by the Tuticorin district administration to start some of the upkeep works at the plant as per the Supreme Court order. Though the Supreme Court, on April 10, granted permission to Vedanta to carry out the maintenance work at its closed Sterlite plant, the company was awaiting the orders from the district administration to begin the work on the ground.
Also read: India, ADB sign $130 million loan to promote horticulture in Himachal Pradesh
The copper plant remained shut since May 2018, following protests alleging environmental violations. Following the closure of the unit, that used to contribute 40% of domestic copper production, India has become a net importer of the metal crucial for India’s energy transition from being a net exporter earlier.
Vedanta, in June 2022, had decided to put on sale the Sterlite Copper plant four years after it witnessed 13 casualties in an alleged police firing and has been shut since mid-2018, following a Tamil Nadu government order.
After facing several legal and political hurdles in reopening of the plant, owing to environmental issues, Vedanta posted an advertisement inviting EoIs for selling the plant. The deadline for submitting EoIs was July 4, 2022. However, the company retracted from the move to sell the plant and said it was looking to reopen it.