"JSW Steel Secures Land Possession for New Plant in Odisha"

JSW Utkal Steel, a wholly-owned subsidiary of JSW Steel, has successfully obtained possession of 2,950.31 acres of land for the establishment of a greenfield integrated steel plant with a capacity of 13.2 million tonnes in Odisha.

The steelmaker had announced its ambitious plans for the Odisha steel plant in 2022, committing an investment of ₹65,000 crore in a phased manner. JSW Steel already possesses substantial iron ore reserves in the state, further solidifying its commitment to the region.

The acquired land, situated in proximity to the Paradip port in Odisha, was initially earmarked for the Korean giant Posco's 12-million-tonne steel plant. However, Posco's project faced challenges, including local protests over land acquisition and delayed environmental clearances, ultimately leading to its abandonment.

Of the total land required for the JSW Utkal Steel project, 2,677.80 acres were classified as Forest Land. The Divisional Forest Officer, Mangrove Forest Division, Rajnagar, and the Collector officially handed over possession documents for the entire forest land to JSW Utkal Steel on Thursday. The remaining 272.51 acres of non-forest land had already been leased by the Odisha government in favor of JSW Utkal Steel. The announcement did not specify the commencement date for the project.

HBL