The Metallurgical and Material Handling (MMH) business of Larsen & Toubro has commissioned the 0.5 MTPA (million tonne per annum) expansion project of Utkal Alumina International (UAIL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Hindalco, the metals flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group. The plant is located at a remote location at Kucheipadar, near Tikiri in Odisha’s Rayagada district. With this expansion, the alumina production capacity of the refinery has been upgraded from 1.5 mtpa to 2 mtpa.

The expansion project was recently inaugurated by the Honourable Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik. MMH has executed several Alumina Refinery projects in the domestic and the international markets in the past. This project, with its uniqueness in terms of complexity and environment friendliness paves the way for executing similar projects in the future.

L&T MMH has executed this project in a time bound manner ensuring the most critical process units of the refinery are ready. The company used the modular erection methods with sophisticated machinery for speedier project execution. L&T MMH team overcame many difficulties at the remote location of the project including limited material availability, inadequate local skilled workmen, hilly terrain, and heavy rainfall with a prolonged rainy season etc.

Moreover, the challenging work was completed during the outbreak of Covid 19 pandemic, with 2,000 workmen working at the site with all due precautions and safety measures. L&T MMH team ensured utmost care for the workmen by providing not only basic amenities but also requisite medical facilities and timely payment of wages to maintain high morale of the workmen and to protect them from infections during this period.