Nalco to miss alumina production target
By IANSWednesday, February 23, 2011
BHUBANESWAR - The state-owned National Aluminium Company Ltd (Nalco) will miss its target to produce 16.80 lakh tonnes of alumina in the current financial year ending March, a senior company official said Wednesday.
The Bhubaneswar headquartered Nalco produced 15.92 lakh tonnes of alumina in 2009-2010.
The company’s financial director, B.L. Bagra, told IANS that the target will be missed because of the delay in the expansion of the company refinery in Damanjodi of Koraput district following a Maoist attack two years ago.
At least 10 security personnel and four Maoist guerrillas were killed in a gun battle at Nalco’s bauxite mine at Panchpatmali, some 370 km from here, April 12, 2009.
The bauxite from Panchpatmali mine feeds the refinery at Damanjodi town, located nearby.
“The refinery expansion suffered because most of the contractors and contract labourers engaged in the work immediately left the place after the incident,” Bagra said, adding that the expansion was slated to be completed by January this year.
He, however, said the expansion of the refinery’s sixth stream will be completed by the end of March. “Mechanical completion has been achieved already and the whole thing has been completed. By March end, it will be fully commissioned,” he said.
Nalco is Asia’s largest integrated aluminium producer.
