India's national production of primary aluminium was 510,623t in the Apr-Aug 2007 period (the first five months of the current financial year), according to the latest figures from the country's ministry of mines.
That represented year-on-year growth of 11.0%, which is still a fast rate but one that has slowed quite a bit from the 14.9% recorded over the financial year to March 2007.
In annualised terms, India's production has been levelling out just above the 1.2 million tonnes level since the start of (calendar) 2007.
The most recent big expansion to national capacity was the 245,000tpy hike to 345,000tpy at Balco's Korba facility.
That came on stream around the third quarter of last year and its impact is now starting to fade in the year-on-year growth rate.
Balco's production has been running at an annualised rate of around 356,000t over the last two reported months, suggesting it is now in steady-state production at its raised capacity.
That means that the only imminent capacity increase will be the relatively small 43,000tpy incremental Phase II expansion at Hindalco's Hirakud smelter. Hindalco's group production has been creeping higher over the Apr-Aug period and at 195,416t was up by 8.3% year-on-year.
State-owned Nalco—the third of the big three producers in the country—has been operating consistently above its nameplate capacity of 345,000tpy for some time now. It is also noticeable that production in August itself at 30,245t showed no signs of flagging due to the well-documented coal-supply issues the company faced in that month.
Nalco will supply the next major addition to national smelter capacity in the form of a hike at its Angul plant from the current 345,000tpy to 460,000tpy. Work on the project has already begun with reports it is preparing to tap the debt markets to top up its financing. Together with a linked increase to bauxite and alumina capacity, the increase in smelter capacity is scheduled to be completed by the end of next year.
豫公网安备41010502003434号