Hindalco’s INR 8000 crore new alumina project gets approved by Odisha Govt.

The apex body to clear investment projects in Odisha, The High-Level Clearance Authority (HLCA), has approved a new Greenfield alumina refinery unit, proposed by Aditya Birla Group-owned Hindalco Industries. The estimated cost of the project is INR 8,000 crore and is proposed to come up at Kansariguda near Rayagada in Odisha, with a predicted volume of 2 million tonnes/annum. The project is expected to create employment for 4,250 people.

Hindalco will depend on the Odisha government on raw material for catering to the refinery. Bauxite from any of the leases of Odisha Mining Corporation is likely to feed the planned and approved refinery project of Hindalco. This project is scheduled to go into its mainstream production in 4 to 5 years.

The alumina refining unit is projected at the foothills of the Kodingamali bauxite lease, currently under OMC’s leasehold. Hindalco has already acquired 1,500 acres of land for this refinery and the remaining 600 acres essential for the project will be made available by the state authorities.

This will be Hindalco’s second alumina refining complex in Odisha post-Utkal Alumina refining project, which is also in the Rayagada district. The Utkal refinery is catered by the company’s captive Baphlimali bauxite mines, with adequate reserves to cater to the refinery’s requirement for 25 years after its ramp-up. The mine contains a very low amount of reactive silica.

Hindalco has guaranteed Rs 5,000 crore to ramp up the volume of the Utkal refinery to 3 million tonnes/annum.

Chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the HLCA also evaluated the status of investment objectives received during the first two editions of Make in Odisha organized in 2016 and 2018.