Mittal's Green Field projects make headway in J'khand, Orissa

Ranchi, Nov 23 (UNI) Taking a major step forward, Arcellor Mittal, world's largest steel company, today announced it has been allocated steam coal blocks for the first phase of its proposed green field projects in Jharkhand and Orissa.

Arcellor had planned to build integrated steel plants in both states with a total capacity of 12 million tones at a combined investment of approximately 20 billion dollars.

The projects will be developed in two phases of six million ton each, a company release, originated from Luxemberg, said here today.

Each plant would also have captive power units for which the coal blocks allocation would be utilised.

The Governmnt had allocated coal blocks to the company on a sharing basis at Sereghara block in Jharkhand and Rampiya, Dip-side Rampiya block in Orissa.

In Jharkhand, the company had been allocated 83.33 million tonnes of steam coal out of 150 million tonnes allocated.

In Orissa, the share stood at 84.16 million tonnes out of total 645.24 million tonnes.

Meanwhile, group, vice-president mining, merger and acquisition M P Singh, said this was a good beginning towards the realisation of ''our projects which will bring considerable economic benefits both for the country and the two states concerned''.

Mr Malay Mukherjee, member of the group management group of the Arcellor Mittal, visited both states last week along with senior executives of the group.

Additionally a team of ten technical experts spent time in Orissa for discussion on the technology for the company's two steel plants.

UNI