Bhubaneswar, Sep 18th: The state-owned National Aluminum Co Ltd (NALCO) said that it has got the mining lease approval to build a 1.4 million tone Greenfield alumina refinery in Andhra Pradesh. “The government of India has accorded prior approval for the mining lease proposals of the government of Andhra Pradesh for awarding lease to NALCO over Gudem and Katamraju Konda bauxite blocks in Andhra Pradesh,” the company said.

Earlier, Andhra Pradesh had recommended to the central government grant of mining lease in favor of NALCO. The mines under consideration have an estimated 85 million tones of bauxite reserves. NALCO, Asia’s largest integrated aluminum producer, plans to build the 1.4 million tone Greenfield alumina refinery based on the Gudem and KR Konda bauxite deposits in Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh at an estimated investment of Rs.6,000 crore. NALCO is India’s largest alumina producer and third largest aluminum maker. It produced 1,576,500 tones of alumina and 361,262 tones of aluminum in 2008-09.

From: http://www.inkakinada.com/news/headline/nalco-gets-mining-lease-in-ap