Utkalto do Rs 1,300 crexpansion in 30 months

Utkal Alumina International, a fully-owned subsidiary of Hindalco, yesterday said it will complete the 500-kilotonne expansion, involving a capital outlay of Rs 1,300 crore, over the next 30 months. Hindalo managing director Satish Pai said the company is completing the expansion plan fast as it thinks the worldwide third-party alumina market will remain tight. Commenting on the expansion in the domestic market, Pai said, "we will wait for some more time because we still need to be little bit careful about coal availability and coal prices going forward. If more coal mines become productive, and supply becomes adequate, we will certainly think of doing a brownfield expansion at Aditya or Mahan." In FY2018, the company had achieved record production at 1,291-kt with alumina (including from Utkal) at 2,881 kt.