BHUBANESWAR: A day after bagging India’s largest FDI in metallurgy sector, the state government on Friday signed a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) with IHI Corporation and ACME Group for a cumulative investment of Rs 67,000 crore to promote collaboration in clean energy, advanced manufacturing and industrial development.
The MoC was signed during Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s interaction with a Japanese business delegation at Lok Seva Bhawan here. Industries minister Sampad Chandra Swain was present.
IHI and ACME will jointly set up three projects in Odisha, generating employment opportunities for around 7,000 people. The projects include a 0.4 MTPA green ammonia plant at Gopalpur-Tata SEZ with an investment of Rs 20,000 crore and employment potential of 3,400, along with an associated jetty-less floating terminal infrastructure involving an additional investment of Rs 1,000 crore.
Besides, a 0.8 MTPA green ammonia project at Paradip has been proposed with an investment of Rs 34,000 crore and employment potential of 3,600, along with a methanol facility involving Rs 12,000 crore and creating 600 jobs. Majhi highlighted the state’s vision to establish one of the country’s largest green hydrogen ecosystems. “After yesterday’s $11 billion agreement with Middle East investors, today’s partnership with our Far East friend Japan will further brighten the state’s industrial sector,” he said.
Stating that Odisha has so far approved 12 major green hydrogen and green ammonia projects, attracting over Rs 2 lakh crore investment and creating more than 36,000 jobs, the chief minister said two green industrial corridors are being developed covering Paradip, Kendrapara and Gopalpur, which will make Odisha, the ‘Steel Capital of India’ and a global leader in green steel production.
He invited IHI Corporation to set up a ‘Japanese Green Engineering and Innovation Centre’ in the state. He also requested the MITSUBISHI Corporation to invest in the field of green chemicals and sustainable fuels. Official sources said the representative of Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company expressed interest in working together to build a green and strong future for Odisha
The CM said since ‘Utkarsh Odisha’ in January last year, the second industrial revolution has begun in the state, and in the last one-and-a-half years, the state government has approved projects worth more than Rs 10 lakh crore.
President and CEO of IHI Corporation Hiroshi Ide appreciated Odisha’s green energy policy and investment environment. He said, for Japan, Odisha has become the best and strongest medium for making large investments in the green energy sector.
Chairman and managing director of ACME Group Manoj Kumar Upadhyay said Odisha has emerged as one of the best destination for investment because of its industry-friendly environment.
The Japanese delegation included representatives of TRL Krosaki Limited, TYK Corporation, Indo Nissin Foods, ACME Group, IHI Corporation, and Mitsubishi. Representatives from the World Bank, International Finance Corporation (IFC), and Asian Development Bank (ADB) also participated in the discussion.