Copper happens to be one of the most crucial metals from an industrial point of view. Identified as a critical mineral, it is used in various industries, including the renewable energy sector and the power generation sector. Over the past few years, our country has witnessed an extraordinary growth in the demand for copper, owing to its versatile usage in various industries. However, the copper production capabilities have mostly remained the same.
This has created a gap between the demand and supply of copper in the country.
Wondering how to mitigate this demand? Well, his increased demand for copper can be met by reopening the Sterlite Copper plant, which is operated by the Vedanta Group. So, here we are going to take a look at why the Sterlite Copper plant is a vital aspect of India’s copper production journey and how reopening the plant can greatly increase copper production and bring about enhanced development to the surrounding areas.
An Overview of Sterlite Copper
Sterlite Copper represents a key aspect of Vedanta Limited’s copper business. Since its inception in 1996, the company has achieved steady growth. It also became one of the leading contributors to copper production in India. While it was operational, the plant contributed to around 36% of India’s demand for refined copper. The plant had an operational capacity of 400,000 MTPA of copper smelter. It had various associated facilities like a refinery and a copper rod plant. The plant also had a sulphuric acid plant of over 12,00,000 MTPA and a phosphoric acid plant of 2,20,000 MTPA at Vedanta Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. The plant also operated a 160 MW coal-based power plant in Thoothukudi.
The Shutdown of Sterlite Copper
Vedanta Sterlite Copper is currently closed. Because of various ongoing controversies and allegations, the plant had to be shut down. It was shut down by the Tamil Nadu government in May 2018. The plant has remained closed for the past seven years, following the anti-Sterlite protest. This caused a huge gap in copper production. Since then, industries have struggled to ensure that their copper demands are met. Our country also has to depend largely on copper imports in order to meet its requirements. This has led to a huge rise in production costs.
So, in order to ensure that the growing copper demands in the country are met and the living conditions of the people in the Thoothukudi area change for the better, the people of the Thoothukudi region have recently requested a green restart of Sterlite Copper. This can become a turning point for Vedanta Limited’s copper business. It will once again ensure that our country’s growing copper demands are well addressed. The people will also be able to start leading their lives in a much better manner.
The Request For Green Restart of Sterlite Copper
During the past few days, thousands of people gathered in front of the Thoothukudi Collectorate arch gate, calling for the reopening of the Sterlite Copper plant. Since then, the residents of neighbouring villages and other organisations have been continuously submitting petitions to reopen the plant. In line with the efforts, thousands of people from the nearby villages, along with the representatives from various organisations, including self-help groups, auto rickshaw drivers, lorry owners associations, etc., have started assembling outside the collectorate’s office to submit their petition.
The petitioners highlighted the proposal for green copper production atVedanta SterliteCopper. As per the news, an expert committee has already prepared a report with the necessary guidelines and recommendations that would allow for green operations at the Sterlite Copper plant. Once the steps are undertaken, the smelter will once again be in a position to start operating. The closure of the Sterlite Copper smelter brought about massive difficulties in the lives of the people. After its closure, hundreds of individuals lost their jobs. They were forced to seek other jobs. They also struggled to support their families.
There was an overall underdevelopment of the Vedanta Tuticorin area surrounding the Sterlite Copper plant. This further caused the people to come to an understanding that the plant should open up soon enough. Only then can their living conditions transform for the better.
Conclusion
So, as you can see, the Sterlite Copper plant has indeed got a big role to play in revolutionising India’s copper production capacity. Once this plant becomes operational, it will address the growing demands for copper in the country. The living conditions of the people in the area will also transform for the better.
