The Hindu Business Line : Kerala in pact with Russian co for titanium-based unit

Project details
The present proposal is to set up a titanium sponge plant with an annual production capacity of 10,000 tonnes.
The State-owned Kerala Minerals and Metals Ltd will supply the titanium tetrachloride required for being processed at the plant.

Thiruvananthapuram May 17 The Kerala Government has signed a memorandum of understanding with Rosoboronexport, a Russian Government-owned company, to set up a titanium-based industrial unit in the State.

As per the MoU, the State Government will join hands with the Russian company for the manufacture of titanium sponge, titanium metal, titanium alloys and other titanium-based products. This is in line with the Government's policy decision to establish a chain of industries utilising the State's rich mineral deposits, according to the Industries Minister, Mr Elamaram Kareem.

As of now, the country does not have the know-how to manufacture titanium metal or titanium alloys. Only six countries in the world, including Russia, possess the required technology and the Russian company will make the technology available to the joint venture.

The present proposal is to set up a titanium sponge plant with an annual production capacity of 10,000 tonnes. The State-owned Kerala Minerals and Metals Ltd (KMML) will supply the titanium tetrachloride required for being processed at the plant.

The capital investment for the plant is estimated between Rs 1,200 crore and Rs 1,500 crore. Mr Kareem said the MoU with the Russian company was on the basis of the Government policy to retain mining of mineral sands within the public sector and invite private participation for production of value-added items.

There are huge deposits of mineral sands in the coastal areas of the State and in the Chavara area of Kollam district alone, the deposits are to the tune of 127 million tonnes.

There is a good demand for titanium metal for use in the manufacture of aircraft, submarines and strategic weapons. But, the country has so far not been able to develop the required technology to manufacture the metal.

A 500-tonne capacity titanium sponge plant is already being set up at KMML with the financial cooperation of Indian Space Research Organisation. This is a pilot project and the technology is provided by the Defence Research Metallurgical Laboratory.

The MoU was signed by Mr T. Balakrishnan, Principal Secretary, Industries, on behalf of the Kerala Government and Mr Alexy V. Aleshin, Deputy Director-General of the Russian company. The Finance Minister, Dr Thomas Isaac, were also present.