Smelter order

ABB has won an order worth $113m (£57m) from Vedanta Aluminum to provide automation, power products and systems for a greenfield expansion of an aluminium smelter plant in Jharsuguda, in the eastern state of Orissa in India.

ABB will design, supply and build 24 sets of high-power diode rectifier systems for four aluminium pot lines at the plant.

In addition, it will also deliver a new 400/220kV switchyard to supply the new smelter plant with power, a process control system, as well as a MicroSCADA control system for the power distribution network, substation switching bays, power and station transformers.

The expansion will double the smelter's production capacity of aluminium ingots, rods and rolled products.

ABB supplied rectifier systems for phase one of the Jharsuguda plant expansion in 2007-08. When phase two is complete in 2009, Vedanta’s total aluminium smelting capacity will be approximately 1,700,000 tons per annum, making it one of the largest integrated aluminium producers in the world.