BHUBANESWAR: Nine years after ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India Limited pulled out from its mega steel project in Odisha, the company has again evinced interest to invest in the state. The company’s proposal to set up a seven million tonne capacity steel plant in Jagatsinghpur district with an investment of Rs 38,000 crore and employment potential of 11,000 people was approved by the high-level clearance authority (HLCA) on Thursday.
ArcelorMittal had earlier withdrawn from the Odisha steel project proposed to be set in Keonjhar district due to protests by local people and the state government’s failure to recommend a mining lease in favour of the company. The world’s largest steel maker had in 2006 signed an MoU with the government to set
up a 12-million tonne steel plant in four phases at Keonjhar with an investment of Rs 50,000 crore.
The state government approved nine industrial projects including that of ArcelorMittal worth Rs 1,53,074.63 crore with employment opportunities for 27,030 persons on Thursday. The projects were cleared at the meeting of the HLCA presided over by chief minister Naveen Patnaik.
Official sources said that projects spread across diverse sectors like green energy and equipment, metals and minerals, paper and IT infrastructure received approval at the meeting. The approved projects will be set up across various parts of the state including Balasore, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Kalahandi, Khurdha, Koraput, and Mayurbhanj districts.
The HLCA approved the proposal of ACME Clean Energy Private Limited with an investment proposal of Rs 58,209.13 crore to set up a green hydrogen plant and a green ammonia plant with a capacity of 1.1 million tonne at Kujanga in Jagatsinghpur district. The company has also proposed to set up two captive renewable energy units, solar power plants of 4500 MW each in Koraput and Kalahandi districts. The project is expected to provide employment opportunities to about 3,400 people in the state.
The committee also approved the proposal of Avaada Green H2 Private Limited to set up plant in Ganjam district with an investment of Rs 23,500 crore and employment opportunities to about 1,500 people in the state. Two other projects in the green energy and equipment sector by Renew EFuels Private Limited (REFPL) and Ocior Energy Private Limited with an aim to provide employment to more than 3,300 people of Odisha were cleared. While REFPL intends to set up a green ammonia plant with a capacity of 1.09 million tonne at Paradip, the Ocior Energy Private Limited proposal includes the installation of green ammonia plant of one million tonne capacity at Gopalpur.
In the Paper sector, the committee gave a nod to 2 projects by Bank Note Paper Mill India Private Limited and Deevyashakti India Private Limited. With an investment of Rs 2,500 crores, the BNPM India Private Limited, a joint venture between the Centre and RBI, proposes to set up a banknote paper unit at Balasore. The project will provide employment opportunities to more than 800 people. Similarly, Deevyashakti India Private Limited has proposed to set up an integrated pulp and paper mill at Dhenkanal, with an investment of Rs 1,000 crore and employment potential for 3000 people.
The second project in the mineral sector, from Rungta Metals Private Limited (RMPL), is for the expansion of its Integrated steel plant from 0.5 million tonne per annum to one million tonne per annum at Rairangpur of Mayurbhanj district with an investment of Rs 1,140 crore.
In the IT and infrastructure sector, the proposal by My Home Constructions Private Limited which involves an investment of Rs 1,525.50 crores with employment potential for 2500 people was approved.