Date:28/10/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/10/28/stories/2006102800961700.htm

Business

Manmohan to lay foundation for Rs. 95 crore project of KMML

Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would lay the foundation stone for a Rs.95-crore project for setting up a titanium sponge manufacturing plant at Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited (KMML) at Chavara in Kollam district on November 1, the 50th anniversary of the formation of the State.

At a press conference here on Friday, Industries Minister Elamaram Karim said that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) would provide the entire amount required for the plant to the KMML as grant. Titanium sponge manufactured at the plant is for ISRO's exclusive needs.

The proposed plant represents a big leap in the mineral sand value-addition chain at the KMML. It will substantially increase both the turnover and profitability of this State public sector company, Mr. Karim said.

The Minister said the proposed plant would initially have a capacity to manufacture 500 tonnes of titanium sponge. Plans to enhance the capacity based on requirement would be undertaken after successful absorption of technology. He said the technology was from the Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory, Hyderabad. Production at the plant was expected to commence in two years.

Mr. Karim said ISRO required for its space vehicles titanium alloys and titanium sponge. India did not produce titanium sponge. With the setting up of the plant at the KMML, India would join Russia, the United States, Japan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and China as countries producing it. Mr. Karim said titanium metal and its alloys were of strategic importance in sectors such as aerospace, atomic energy and defence. Titanium sponge was the basic input for making the metal and its alloys.

He said the KMML now had synthetic rutile plant and titanium tetrachloride and titanium dioxide production facility. The company was utilising only a part of the heavy minerals segregated from the beach sands of Chavara region, rich in ilmenite containing more than 60 per cent titanium dioxide. The titanium pigment manufactured at the KMML was primarily used by the paint industry. Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan, Union Defence Minister A. K. Antony and ISRO chairman G. Madhavan Nair will attend the foundation laying ceremony, to be conducted at Asramam Ground in Kollam on November 1.