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Sulphur 418 May-Jun 2025

3 May 2025

Start-up for Adani smelter

INDIA

Start-up for Adani smelter

Adani Group subsidiary Kutch Copper has commenced operations at its new Mundra copper refinery and smelter, the company announced on 28 March. The company previously indicated an expected start-up by the end of Q1. The new smelter will help boost domestic supplies of copper, demand for which is robust from the construction, transport and power sectors in particular and likely to double by 2030, with the shift towards clean energy and electric vehicles. This first phase of the project will have around 500,000 t/a copper capacity, with a similar capacity planned to be added in the second phase by 2029.

The first phase of the plant is expected to have 1.5 million t/a of sulphuric acid production capacity, while the phosphate-based demand for acid should be around 750,000 t/a once running. Acid exports from India are therefore expected to climb following ramp-up. The company also plans to add phosphoric acid capacity of around 500,000 t/a at the site, though this is not expected to come online until 2026.

India’s imports of copper and sulphuric acid have surged since 2018 when Tamil Nadu’s state government closed Vedanta Limited’s Tuticorin smelter on environmental grounds. Last month, the country’s supreme court rejected Vedanta’s appeal to restart the plant.

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