India to Expand Aluminium Smelting to 1 million tonnes

Indian aluminium ingot output has kept increasing. The output increased to 850,000 tonnes in 2004 from 517,000 tonnes in 1996 while the output capacity increased to 900,000 tonnes in 2004 from 635,000 tonnes in 1996, according to Sumitomo Corporation. The output is expected to reach 1 million tonnes when the major local makers plan expansion of smelters. India has world major bauxite reserves as Australia, Indonesia and Africa. The country increased the bauxite output to 11.6 million tonnes in 2004, which is no.6 after Australia with around 57 million tonnes, Brazil, Guinea, China and Jamaica. The reserve is estimated to be 2.93 billion tonnes or around 10% of world reserve, according to Indian government. Indian aluminium smelters are major 5 firms including National Aluminium Company (NALCO), Hindalco Industries, Indian Aluminium Company (INDAL), Bharat Aluminium Company (BALCO) and Madras Aluminium Company (MALCO) while a plant idles the operation. The largest maker of NALCO with 360,000 tonnes of annual output capacity operates the Angul plant at full capacity and other makers also keep full capacity operations. INDAL will expand the capacity by 100,000 tonnes by 2007 and NALCO expands the capacity by 100,000 tonnes by 2008. BALCO also considers 100,000 tonnes of expansion. Indian output is expected to keep expanding and to reach 1 million tonnes near future.