State run MOIL said that its proposed JVs with SAIL and RINL for setting up facilities to make ferro alloy in Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh are likely to be operational in the next fiscal.

An Environment Ministry panel in August 2011 has already given the green nod to MOIL's proposed INR 400 crore JV with SAIL for setting up 106,000 tonnes per annum ferroalloy manufacturing facility in Chhattisgarh.

Mr KJ Singh CMD of MOIL told PTI that "We will start work soon on both the projects which are likely to go on stream in 2012-13."

Mr Singh said that talks were in the advanced stage for setting up the main furnace for the Chhattisgarh facility in JV with SAIL, while work was likely to commence soon on the proposed INR 200 crore Andhra Pradesh unit in tie up with RINL to produce 57,000 tonnes per annum of ferroalloy.

In both the ventures, MOIL Ltd, formerly Manganese Ore (India) Limited, will have a 50% stake. The firm, the largest domestic manganese producer, had separately signed MoUs with SAIL and RINL to set up the two facilities making ferroalloy, used in steel making for de oxidizing purposes.

MOIL operates 10 mines in the country, six in the Nagpur and Bhandara districts of Maharashtra and four in Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh. The company meets about half of the total requirement of dioxide ore in the country. At present, MOIL's annual production amounts to around 1.1 million tonnes.

(Source from PTI)