NALCO's aluminium production up by 19.4 per cent

Bhubaneswar, April 3 : State-owned National Aluminium Co Ltd (NALCO) has produced 4.31 lakh tonnes of aluminium in 2009-10, an increase of 19.4 per cent, against 3.61 lakh tonnes in 2008-09, the company said Saturday.

Its alumina refinery at Damanjodi in Koraput district has recorded the highest-ever production of 15.92 lakh tonnes of alumina hydrate against the previous best of 15.90 lakh tonnes in 2005-06, with capacity utilisation of 101.05 per cent, NALCO said in a statement here.

The company's bauxite mines at Panchpatmali Hills located near the refinery has produced 48.79 lakh tonnes of bauxite - its highest ever production- against the previous best of 48.54 lakh tonnes in 2005-06, with capacity utilisation of 101.64 per cent, it said.

Despite acute coal shortage and severe power fluctuations, its captive power plant, which feeds the smelter plant at Angul, achieved the highest-ever power generation of 6,295 million units against the previous year's 5,541 million units, up 13.6 per cent.

NALCO also achieved the highest-ever domestic metal sale of 2.89 lakh tonnes, surpassing the previous highest of 2.71 lakh tonnes in 2008-09, with an increase of 6.5 per cent, it said.

The company recorded the highest-ever metal export of 1.47 lakh tonnes, up 78.5 per cent, against the previous year's export of 82,314 lakh tonnes.