Kutch Copper Ltd, a subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Ltd, has commissioned the first unit of its greenfield copper refinery project at Mundra, an official release by Adani Group said.
The first batch of copper cathodes was dispatched to customers, an official Adani Group release said, adding that this marks the Adani Portfolio’s debut in the metal industry.
Adani Enterprises is investing nearly $1.2 billion to set up a copper smelter with 0.5 million tonnes per annum capacity in the first phase. On completion of the second phase that will add similar capacity, Kutch Copper, with 1 million tpa, will be the world’s largest single-location custom smelter, benchmarking ESG performance standards. It will create 2,000 direct and 5,000 indirect employment opportunities, the
The demand for copper will be driven by renewable energy, electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, and the development of power transmission and distribution networks.
Towards carbon neutrality
“With Kutch Copper commencing operations, the Adani portfolio of companies is not only entering the metals sector but also driving India’s leap towards a sustainable and aatmanirbhar (self-reliant) future,” said Gautam Adani, Chairman of the Adani Group. “Our speed of execution in this ambitious, super-sized project underscores our commitment to take India to the forefront of the global copper sector. We believe the domestic copper industry will play a crucial role in achieving our nation’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2070 by strengthening our green infrastructure hand in hand with mature environmental stewardship. When commissioned, our modern smelter will set new benchmarks in copper production, with an enhanced thrust on innovative green technology.”
Forward integration
Kutch Copper is working towards establishing Kutch Copper Tubes Ltd as part of its forward integration strategy to add copper tubes to its portfolio. The tubes will cater to applications in air conditioning and refrigeration.
Copper Facts
The following information has been compiled by T&D India from various sources considered reliable. This information is not part of the official Adani Group release discussed above.
Per capita copper consumption in India: 0.6 kg
Per capita world copper consumption: 3.2 kg
India’s copper consumption: 7,50,000 tonnes in FY23
India’s copper imports: 1,81,000 tonnes in FY23
India’s copper smelting companies (installed capacity)
Hindalco Industries (Birla Copper): 5 lakh tpa
Vedanta Resources (Sterlite Copper): 4 lakh tpa
Hindustan Copper Ltd: 18,500 tpa
Hindustan Copper is the only Indian company that mines copper ore from its own mines. Other producers refine and smelt copper using imported copper concentrates. It is estimated that 115 tonnes of copper ore yields around 4 tonnes of copper concentrate, which in turn, gives around 1 tonne of refined copper (known as copper cathode). Chile has the highest copper reserves, representing 23 per cent of the world’s total. In 2022, China was the biggest consumer of copper, with a share of 55 per cent in global consumption.
Featured photograph (source: Aurubis) showing copper cathodes is purely for representation.
