Sesa Goa plans steel plants in Orissa, J'khand

Vedanta Group firm Sesa Goa onTuesday said it is looking at setting up small steel plants of 1-1.5 milliontonnes capacity in Orissa and Jharkhand.

"We have started looking at Orissa, where one of ourgroup companies has an MoU for setting up a steel plant. We have startedpursuing it with the state government," Sesa Goa MD and CEO P K Mukherjeesaid.

He said the company is also mulling a steel plant inJharkhand, where it has a prospecting license for carrying out miningoperations.

"Mining is definite (in the state) and having a steelplant is also in our plans there. We are seriously looking at acquiring about800 acres of land by the end of this year. That will show our intent that weare serious," he said.

When asked about the size of the plants, he said it could beof 1-1.5 million tonnes.

Talking about Jharkhand plant, Mukherjee said that adecision on this can be expected after land acquisition there.

"Having about 500 acres of land is the minimumrequirement setting up a steel plant," he noted.

He said the company will require about two months time toconduct a feasibility study for setting up a steel plant there, if it gets thedecision in its favour.