CHENNAI: Sterlite Copper Plant has commissioned a new oxygen cylinder bottling unit to produce 400 medical grade oxygen cylinders a day, at its facility in Tamil Nadu that has been set up at an outlay of Rs 11 crore, Vedanta Ltd said on Thursday.
"While our technology was so far focused on producing liquid oxygen, overseas technology providers have helped us implement processes to capture gaseous oxygen as well, which was so far being vented out as a byproduct," the company said in a statement.
Employees and partners worked together to activate the facility within a day of receiving the required materials and machinery to set up the oxygen cylinder bottling plant, it said.
"The bottling plant has a daily production capacity of 400 medical-grade oxygen cylinders. We will continue putting in our best efforts to help meet the nation's needs," it said.
On May 19, the plant resumed production of medical oxygen at the facility in Tuticorin about 600 km from here, days after it faced a technical snag, leading to a halt in operation.
The facility at Tuticorin district began producing medical oxygen on May 13 to meet the demand for the oxygen following a surge in COVID-19 cases in the State.
In May 2018, the plant was sealed by the state government after 13 agitators who were part of a protest against the company over environmental concerns, were killed in police firing during a violent anti-Sterlite stir in the southern district.
The copper smelter plant was accorded approval by the former AIADMK government on April 26 at an all-party meeting to produce medical oxygen at the facility for a period of four months.