Vedanta commissioning new alumina refinery

UK-listed Indian metals group Vedanta said it has started commissioning its new 1.4 million tpy Lanjigarh alumina refinery in the eastern state of Orissa. At the moment only one of two production streams - with output of 700,000tpy - is being commissioned. First alumina shipments are scheduled for the last week of July. The refinery is supposed to be drawing on captive bauxite deposits but the company is still awaiting environmental clearances and is currently using outsourced bauxite to feed Lanjigarh. Vedanta said that a Supreme Court hearing on the environmental clearances is scheduled for August and that "we are hopeful of a positive resolution on the matter."