HCL working at fast pace to double Malanjkhand Copper Project capacity in MP by 2030: CMD

Balaghat: Newly appointed Hindustan Copper Ltd (HCL) Chairman and Managing Director Anupam Mishra on Saturday said the company was working at a fast pace to double the annual production capacity of its Malanjkhand Copper Project (MCP) in Madhya Pradesh's Balaghat district from 2.5 million tonnes to 5 million tonnes by 2030.

In his first visit to the project after taking charge as HCL's CMD earlier this month, Mishra told PTI that the Miniratna Category-I public sector undertaking had also planned phased capital expenditure to raise its overall production capacity to 12.2 million tonnes by 2030.

"Our focus will be on completing the capital expenditure (capex) plan to achieve the production target of 12.2 million tonnes by 2030. Engineering in-charges and corporate teams will closely monitor every project and its key milestones so that any bottlenecks can be removed in time," he said.


HCL's current mine ore production capacity stands at around four million tonnes per annum.

Referring to global demand for copper outstripping supply, Mishra said HCL was working in mission mode on industrial development and technological advancement to ensure that mineral shortages did not hamper India's goal of becoming a developed nation.

He said the Malanjkhand Copper Project, with an annual production capacity of 2.5 million tonnes, contributed nearly 70 per cent of HCL's total output.

"The company is implementing a plan to increase the project's capacity from 2.5 million tonnes to 5 million tonnes by 2030. Work on different expansion projects is progressing satisfactorily. These include new production and service shafts, winders, a concentrator plant and a paste-fill plant," he said.

Mishra said the company was also expediting plans to enhance production capacities at its other projects, including the Khetri Copper Complex in Rajasthan's Khetrinagar and the Indian Copper Complex at Ghatsila in Jharkhand, to achieve the overall production target.

During his three-day visit, Mishra inspected the underground mine, concentrator plant, paste-fill plant, tailings dam and expansion work at the Malanjkhand project.

Mishra succeeded Sanjiv Kumar Singh, who retired on June 30. Before joining HCL, he served as Director (Marketing) at Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Ltd.