NALCO expects to get AP bauxite mines soon: report

The leases cover 85 mn tonnes of bauxite reserves of the same quality as Nalco`s mines, 20km away in Orissa state. National Aluminium Co. Ltd. (NALCO) expects to receive mining leases for its proposed 4.2mn tons per annum bauxite and 1.4mn tons a year alumina projects in one or two months, according to reports. "With the Andhra Pradesh government recommending to the Central Government that bauxite mining leases may be granted to NALCO in East Godavari and Visakapatnam districts of the state, the first hurdle to the Rs70bn (US$1.4bn) bauxite mining and alumina refinery project has been crossed," NALCO finance director B.L. Bagra was quoted as saying. The leases cover 85mn tons of bauxite reserves of the same quality as NALCO's mines, 20km away in Orissa. However, due to a lack of land, ore from the Andhra Pradesh mines will have to be transported 20-30km to the refinery, unlike NALCO's current operations, where mine and refinery are nearby. The company will apply for forest and environment clearance after it receives the mining leases, and it may take five to seven years before alumina production starts at the export-oriented refinery, said Bagra. NALCO will add another silo at Vizag Port and export the alumina from there to its proposed smelter project in Indonesia. source:www.indiainfoline.com