Bhubaneswar: Tata Steel is planning to expand Ferrochrome capacity of its Gopalpur plant to 2.45 lakh tonnes with an investment of INR 8 billion. The company is waiting for the Environmental Clearance for the second phase expansion, Arun Mishra, Vice president, Tata Steel Gopalpur has said.
Meanwhile, the first phase of plant with 55,000 MT pa capacity will start producing Ferrochrome by May, 2015. The company is investing INR 4 billion in the first phase.
The project is crucial for the company, which is defending the allocation of its Chromite mines at Sukinda in Jajpur district of Odisha. The mining lease is under consideration of the Odisha government for renewal. Recently, JSL has filed a special leave petition requesting to direct the Odisha government to reject the lease renewal.
Earlier, Odisha based Ferrochrome producers like JSL, Indian Metals and Ferro Alloys (IMFA), Balasore Alloys (earlier Ispat Alloys), Ferro Alloys Corporation (FACOR) and Nav Bharat had filed case in the Orissa High Court opposing Tata’s lease renewal. But, the case was dismissed by the court.
Total installed capacity of Ferrochrome in India is 1.75 MnT.
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