National Aluminium Company (Nalco) is exploring the possibility of setting up a greenfield aluminium smelter and captive power plant near Jharsuguda, western Orissa at an investment of more than Rs 14,000 crore. The capacity of the proposed smelter is pegged at 5 lakh tonnes per annum with a captive generation facility of 1,250 MW. The alumina required for the project is likely to be sourced from Nalco's existing refinery at Damanjodi.
Engineer's India (EIL), which has been appointed the consultant, has found the project technically feasible. Jharsuguda is being chosen as the possible site for the plant as it is in the vicinity of the IB valley coal reserves. While the company has the required technology, land acquisition is expected to be trouble-free as most part of the identified patch is government land and barren. The state-owned Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Orissa (Ipicol) has forwarded the company's application for water from IB River to the water resources department.
Besides, the company is weighing various options for setting up smelter plants in countries like South Africa and Iran depending upon the availability of cheap power. It has recently entered into a MoU with the Kerman Development Organisation for setting up a smelter and subsequently a gas-based power plant in Iran in a joint venture. The capacity of the proposed smelter will be 3.1 lakh tonnes which will come up in two phases.
Read More...
Summary only...
Our meeting with the management of Reliance Infrastructure Ltd. (REL Infra, earlier Reliance Energy Ltd.), on its Analyst Day reinforces our positive view on the stock. REL Infra has reorganized its holding structure to create separate SPVs for each different line of business, which we believe enables the company to unlock value in the EPC and BOT businesses over the medium term.
The company continues to focus on integrating its power distribution business with generation through Reliance Power Ltd. and transmission projects through Reliance Power Transmission Ltd. Moreover, REL infra is looking to scale up its EPC business (Rs90bn order backlog) through bidding for EPC contracts of RPL’s generation projects and other third party projects. The company has reported progress as per schedule in its five road and two metro rail BOTs. Further, Reliance Power (RPL), the power generation SPV of REL Infra, has acquired three coal mine concessions in Indonesia, with estimated reserves of 2bn tons having average GCV of 4,000-4,500Kcal with 30% moisture.
The total reserves are sufficient for 10,000MW of power capacity, including the 4,000MW Krishnapatnam UMPP and 1,200MW Shahpur thermal power plant. RPL has added another 4,000MW of projects to its portfolio, taking the total capacity under development to ~32,000MW. We continue to like REL Infra’s business model of integration across the value chain of power coupled with strong presence in EPC and BOT segments.
Read More...
Summary only...
The country's third largest steel producer, JSW Steel, has clocked a net profit rise of 11% at Rs 461 crore in the fourth quarter ending March 31, 2008 as against Rs 413 crore in Q4FY07. The quarter saw the amalgamation of the full years' result of Southern Iron and Steel Company (Siscol) with that of the quarter of JSW Steel following the approval of the amalgamation by the Bombay High Court.
Net sales of JSW for the quarter was up 68% at Rs 4,189 crore as compared to Rs 2,486 crore posted in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Siscol reported a net turnover (included in JSW's net sales for Q4) of Rs 1,064 crore for the year. Despite a robust growth in JSW's net turnover during the quarter, price reduction in the market in an effort to ease general inflationary pressure, led to a nominal increase in the company's bottom line.
Standalone net profit of the company for the year stood at Rs 1,728 crore, up 33% as compared to Rs 1,292 crore posted in the previous year. Net sales for the same period was at Rs 11,420 crore as against Rs 8,699 crore. Due to duties levied by the government on exports to cool-off high domestic steel prices, JSW would bring down its exports by as much 10-15 per cent of total sales from 26 per cent currently or 948,000 tonne.
Read More...
Summary only...
