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Following is from a report in Telegraph by Bibhuti Barik.

The Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT) here has perfected the technology of processing ilmenite, a compound of iron and titanium, which is iron-black or steel-gray, found abundantly in the sands of Orissa’s beaches.

IMMT scientists are now planning to set up a demonstration plant at Orissa Sands Complex, a division of Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL) at Chatrapur, for processing ilmenite as the ore is found in the beach sand of Chhatrapur and is being processed by IREL. The cost-effective technology will work wonders for extracting titanium dioxide and high-value iron from low-grade ilmenite.

Ilmenite is non-toxic and its use in biomedical substances does not create any physiological problem. On the other hand, titanium, in its pure metallic and alloy forms, finds applications in aerospace, defence applications, chemical and related metallurgical industries.

“The ilmenite processing technology developed by IMMT scientists will help the nation as the prime raw material for titanium production — rulite — is now in short supply. So, ilmenite is the best alternative raw material for fulfilling the demand of titanium,” said P.S. Mukherjee, chief scientist and head, advanced materials and technology department, IMMT.

“The new technology serves two benefits — it does not produce toxic by-products and it produces high value iron as a value-added by-product for the automobile industry,” said the chief scientist.

… “But this new process is an environment-friendly one. This is for the first time such a technology is being planned in the country. With proper industry support and more and more R&D support, it can be developed further,” the scientist said.

The world’s reserve of ilmenite ore is estimated at around 1.8 to 2 billion tonnes and India has the largest and richest reserve. The commercial deposits are found in the beach sands of Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. However, only 0.4 million tonnes are processed by IREL. Majority of the deposits are exported as pure ilmenite without any value addition.

IMMT director Baradakanta Mishra said: “Processing technologies of two metals — nickel and ilmenite — perhaps is the best contribution of IMMT to the country. However, more financial help should be extended to the laboratory by the industry and the government. Even with a limited reserve, China is supplying 70 per cent of the Earth’s rare materials whereas we are exporting valuable sand-rich ores to foreign countries without any value addition. The pilot plant should be scaled up and more fund flow to IMMT can result in innovative research in mineral processing.”

Following is an excerpt from a report in expressbuzz.com.

The State-level single window clearance authority (SWCA) today gave approval to nine project proposals worth over Rs 13,000 crore.

The Ashapura Minechem Limited, the largest multi-mineral solution provider in the country and the flagship of Ashapura Group, has evinced interest to set up mineral separation plant in Puri district with an investment of Rs 910 crore. The plant will separate minerals from beach sand and it will produce titanium dioxide, widely used in paints. The project will create employment opportunities for 300 persons, Industries Secretary Ashok Dalwai told mediapersons.

The other new proposal cleared by the SWCA was a 1.2 million tonnes iron ore beneficiation and pelletisation plant by Jaiswal Nicco Industries at Harmote near Barbil in Keonjhar district. The company planned to invest Rs 452 crore and the proposed project would generate employment opportunities to 500 persons.

The proposal of Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL) for capacity addition to its existing steel plant from two million tonnes to six million tonne was also approved. The steel production of the plant will be 3 million tonne through DRI (sponge iron) route and another 3 million tonnes through blast furnace route. The company has also proposed to increase the capacity of its thermal power plant from 900 mega watt to 1080 MW. The total investment of the company will increase from Rs 13,135 crore to Rs 22,440 crore.

The authority also cleared the expansion plan of International Mineral Trading Company having a pelletisation plant at Barbil in Keonjhar district. The company proposed to set up an iron ore beneficiation plant of 1.5 million tonne capacity with an investment of Rs 175 crore.

The BRG Iron and Steel Company at Khurunti in Dhenkanal district proposed to increase its steel production capacity from 0.257 MTA to 1.2 MTA with an investment of Rs 960 crore. The project has received environmental clearance.

Shree Metallics also proposed to increase its steel plant capacity from 0.25 MTA to 0.98 MTA with an investment of Rs 709 crore. The other expansion projects include Grewal Associates sponge iron plant at Barbil to 0.25 MTA steel plant and a 15 MW power plant, Dinabandhu Steel and Power for a 0.26 MTA steel plant with 25 MW power plant and Ganesh Metallics for 0.25 MTA steel plant with 16 MW captive power plant.

Following is an excerpt from a news report in Business Standard.

The Orissa government today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Titanium Products Private Limited (TPPL), an Indo-Russian joint venture, for setting up of a Rs 2000 crore integrated titanium complex and sector specific special economic zone (SEZ) at Chhatrapur in Ganjam district.

SM Shroff , chairman of TPPL and the state industry secretary, A P Padhi signed the documents in the presence of chief minister, Naveen Patnaik in the state secretariat.

The company will invest about Rs 2000 crore in two phases. While the first phase will cost about Rs 1200 crore, another Rs 800 crore will be invested in the second phase. The first phase will be completed within a period of 24 months and is likely to be commissioned by October 2010. It will produce 1,08,000 tonnes of titanium slag, 68,000 tonnes of high purity pig iron, 40,000 tonnes of di-oxide pigment and 10,000 tonnes of titanium sponge.

TPPL has already entered into an agreement with the Indian Rare Earth Limited (IREL) for the supply of the raw material Ilminite. The company will require about 2 lakh tonnes of Ilminite annually for its project. India will be the fourth country in the world to have smelting technology required for production of titanium. The products will have applications in the field of aircraft engine, power plants, chemical plants, automobile industry as titanium is light and corrosion resistant.

TPPL will develop a sector specific special economic zone (SEZ) at its plant site for which it has received the in-principle approval from the Centre. However, it will require additional land beyond 250 acres acquired for the titanium complex.

The Orissa government has agreed to supply 65 Mw of power and 3 million gallon per day water for the project.

Speaking on the occasion chief minister Naveen Patnaik  … He said, the project is the anchor industry for a sector specific SEZ for establishment of downstream industries in sectors like high quality paint manufacturing, automotive casting, ductile iron casting, sillicon and zircon based products.

Patnaik said, the upcoming port at Gopalpur and the integrated titanium complex are the foundations for an industrial corridor in southern Orissa. These will further be integrated with the aluminium hinterland in Kalahandi, Koraput anfd Raygada. For the purpose, he has requested the railway ministry to take up the Therubali-Gunupur railway connectivity at the earliest.

Stating that establishment of a quality vocational educational institution offering the most modern trades relevant for the industry will be an important initiative in the skill upgradation of the local youth, Patnaik said, TPPL should explore such possibility. Besides, it should develop partnership with the local technical institutions.

Following is from a report in New Indian Express.

The Rs 2,000-crore titanium plant to be established jointly by the Russian Federation and Kolkata-based Saraf Group at Chatrapur in Ganjam district would lay the base for development of the Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

The SEZ spanning over 600 acres would house beach sand mineral-based industries.

It would be spearheaded by the Russian and Indian partners and developed into an industrial hub as the flagship titanium project gets executed, said General Director of Technochim Holdings L N Bobkov here on Tuesday.

Plans are to pump in around 3 billion USD for development of the SEZ and the concept paper would be submitted to the Governments of India and Russia for consideration and approval.

The high-value applications of titanium as raw material would open a floodgate of opportunities for value-addition by downstream industries.

Units in the sectors of casting, titanium metal, magnesium, automotive and machine parts, electronics , computers and other manufacturing sectors, etc., can come up. The SEZ would also be open to other private players, the developers have said.

Following is an excerpt from a report in the New Indian Express.

After successful completion of first-phase land acquisition for the SEZ, preparations are on to start the second phase. In the first phase, 250 acres, including 48 acres of government land, have been acquired.

Another 250 acres would be acquired in the second phase likely to start by this year-end. M/s Saraf Agencies Pvt ltd, a Kolkota-based firm, will set up the SEZ with Russian collaboration.

The firm has been pursuing this project for the past 10 years because of the high mineral content in beach sand along the coastline.

However, the agitation against the proposed mega steel plant by Tisco delayed the decision of the firm. The firm has also started its efforts to search partners to set up its proposed titanium dioxide plant near Orissa Sands Complex (OSCOM), a unit of Indian Rare Earths Ltd near Chatrapur.

The plant will facilitate setting up of the SEZ. The company has signed an MoU with two Russian state-run agencies for the proposed SEZ that will process titanium from ilmenite ore.

The MoU was signed during the visit of Russian president Vladimir Putin to India and the project will entail an investment of $250 million (around Rs.1200 crore).

The two Russian entities that will take part in the project are Vnesheconombank or the Bank for Foreign Economic Affairs and JSC Technochim Holding, which is a St. Petersburg-based public sector undertaking.

During recent visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Russia, the Russian premier Viktor Zubkov informed that his country is ready to actively participate in development of the SEZ as part of the efforts to boost bilateral economic ties.

While the Russian firms will have a 55 percent stake in the project, there will be financial participation from them.

They will provide the technology to process titanium from ilmenite ore. The Indian government plans to use this project to set off part of the debt in the rupee-rouble account and will, therefore, invest $125 million in the SEZ.

Saraf Agencies will pump Rs 175 crore into the project and the remaining amount will be raised as loan. The company received an in-principle approval for the SEZ on August 23 last year. The ilmenite ore will be provided by OSCOM.

Following is an excerpt from a New Indian Express report on this.

Expanding its business portfolio, the Kolkata-based Saraf Group, promoters of Forum Mart shopping malls, has now decided to set up a titanium plant at Chhatrapur in Ganjam district.

The plant will be set up over 600 acres of land at an investment of Rs 2,000 crore in collaboration with the Russian Government. Production is likely to start by 2009- end.

This was disclosed by Saraf Group chairman S M Shroff while talking to mediapersons here on Tuesday. He said the project had received approval of the State Government and an MoU would be signed soon. The company had already acquired 200 acres.

He also announced setting up of two more shopping malls in the State, buoyed by the success of Forum Mart here. Both the malls – to come up in the Capital city and in Berhampur, would also have four-screen multiplex. The projects are likely to be completed by 2009-end.

Various news reports (New Indian Express, Sambada, Dharitri) mention that an integrated Titanium plant will be established in Chhatrapur at the cost of 2200 crores. This plant will be established by Sharaf agencies with the help of the Russian government.