Vedanta hopeful of using IPP power for smelter.

Anil Agarwal controlled Vedanta Resources Ltd. said it is hopeful of getting the Odisha government's nod to use power from group owned Sesa Sterlite’s 2400 MW coal based plant to run its aluminium smelter complex at Jharsuguda.

'We have 3,600 MW power generating capacity at Jharsuguda (including 1,200 MW captive capacity). We are running our Jharsuguda smelter at 25 per cent capacity. The chief minister assured us that the entire power can be used to run the smelter so that more jobs and revenue is created for the state,' Agarwal said after meeting chief minister Naveen Patnaik.

Sesa Sterlite’s 1.25 million tonne per annum (mtpa) aluminium smelter set up as a sector specific Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Jharsuguda is lying idle presently for want of power. The company has already invested Rs. 12,000 crore on the smelter complex. Commissioning of the SEZ facility promised to boost the local economy by generating business potential worth Rs. 15,000 crore every year. Direct and indirect employment opportunities for nearly 12,000 persons are set to be created.

BS