The Odisha Pollution Control Board (OPCB) has extended its consent for another period of five years for expansion of the Vedanta alumina refinery project at lanjigarh in Kalahandi district even as the project is facing severe raw material shortage.
The OPCB has extended the consent period till February 15, 2020. The project had proposed to to expand capacity from present one MTPA to 6 MTPA as well as captive power plant up to 285 MW in a phased manner, said a senior official.
However, for the expansion up to 6 MTPA refinery plant, the proponent will obtain an amendment of environment clearance after completion of land acquisition of the balance area of 666 hectare as per conditions stipulated in environment clearance.
The project is now facing acute shortage of bauxite and is incurring `3 crore loss every day due to non-availability of domestic raw material.
The Vedanta Group has invested more than `50,000 crore in Odisha in its projects, the lanjigarh refinery, 2,400-MW coal-fired plant at Jharsuguda and two aluminium smelters near the power plant.