55,000 tonnes per annum capacity TATA ferrochrome plant to start operation from June

The 55,000 tonnes per annum capacity ferrochrome plant, which happens to be the anchorage industry of Gopalpur Industrial Park being developed by Tata Steel in Ganjam district of Odisha, is expected to start functioning from June.

GIP encompasses a multi-product Special Economic Zone of the company.

Speaking to newsmen here, Arun Mishra, the vice-president, Project Gopalpur & MD, Tata Steel Special Economic Zone Ltd. said Central government has already approved the SEZ project of the company and a notification would come up soon.

Functioning of this ferrochrome plant would be the beginning of future development of GIP.

According to Mr Mishra around 20 companies from Singapore, United Kingdom and UAE have shown interest in having units in this SEZ. Tata Power has also proposed to invest in two thermal power plants in the region.

Tata Steel envisions to encash ‘Make in India’ scheme to promote its SEZ.

Under ‘Make in India’, process has started to set up a manufacturing unit meant to produce aerial target products for defence purposes by Mumbai based Sure Safety Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (SSS) in collaboration with M/s Megitt Defence Systems Ltd. of United Kingdom in the GIP.

Anchorage industry of this industrial park, the 800 crore worth ferrochrome plant was expected to start functioning from December, 2015. But various reasons including power connectivity has delayed its inauguration by some months. According to Mr Mishra, every thing would be ready by end of May and test production from the ferrochrome plant may start from June.

In this water-starved coastal region, the ferrochrome plant of Tata Steel would depend on desalination of sea water and rain water harvesting to meet its water needs. “We have restructured the terrain for optimal rain water harvestingapart from water from the desalination plant,” Mr Mishra said.

-BERHAMPUR, April 22, 2016