Dubal in talk with India for alumina project in Orissa

Reuters cited Mr Abdulla Kalban CEO of Dubai Aluminium Co as saying that it will be holding talks with the Indian government on its bauxite alumina project in Orissa next month. The bauxite mine and alumina refinery and smelter, a JV with Indian engineering conglomerate Larsen and Toubro, was originally scheduled to start in 2009, but Dubal has said in the past it expected delays due to bureaucratic issues in India. Mr Kalban said "We are going on with our India project. We are just waiting for the elections to be completed and then we will hold talks in a month's time with our partners and the government." He said phase one of the facility will have a 1.4 million tonne output capacity per year, while phase two, involving an aluminium smelter, would add another 1.4 million tonne per year of alumina. No deadlines had been set for either phase.