Rs. 1,180-crore titanium dioxide plant soon in AP.

Satyavathi Minerals & Metals Ltd. will set up a titanium dioxide plant with a one lakh tonne per annum capacity at Gudimetla village, Chandarlapadu mandal in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh.

The plant, which is 70 km from Vijayawada, will see an investment of Rs. 1,180 crore. The raw material, illmenite, will be sourced from Chattarpur in Odisha.

Job creation

The public hearing for the setting up of the plant was completed last week and the project is expected to be executed in two years. About 400-500 jobs are expected to be created.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences will provide technical inputs to undertake value addition of pigment grade, titanium dioxide.

The Chinese delegation had visited Hyderabad and the site in Krishna district last year and met the then Chief Minister, N Kiran Kumar Reddy, who had promised assured support. The company is also putting up a 20 MW captive power plant at the site. Satyavathi Minerals is a Hyderabad-based company promoted by Naveen Srinivasa.

The project feasibility study was done by the Tata Consultancy Engineering and the market study by Mott MacDonald.

Versatile

Titanium dioxide has extensive use in chemicals, paints and varnish, paper & plastics, printing inks, rubber industries. The company is also establishing a Bio Lifesciences firm to manufacture nutraceuticals in the same area. The completely export oriented unit will see Rs. 20 crore investment and be ready in a couple of months.

HBL