Zinc is mainly used to protect steel and reduce corrosion using galvanization. It is also used in making dry batteries, die casting and as alloys. Zinc dust is used in various chemical and metallurgical industries and its compounds are utilised in rubber and textile industries.

Producing Units

The present smelting capacity for zinc in the country is 1.82 lakh tones per year. There are four zi nc smelters i n the country located at Always (Kerala), Debari (Rajasthan), Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), and Ghodunda (Rajasthan).

1. Cominco Binani Zinc Ltd., Alwaye

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The Alwaye plant has been set up by a private company M/S Cominco Binani Zinc Ltd in 1967. It has installed capacity of 20,000 tons per year which is being raised to 30,000 tons per year. The plant mainly utilizes imported zinc concen­trates.

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2. Hindustan Zinc Ltd., Debari

This smelter has been set up by the HZL with technical assistance from M/S Krebs-Penarroya of France and Lurgi of Germany. It has installed capac­ity of smelting 18,000 tons of zinc annually which is being raised to 45,000 tones. Besides, it also produces 87,000 tons per annum of sulphuric acid, 190 tones of cadmium, 26,000 tones of phosphoric acid and 72,600 tons of high super­phosphate annually. The plant utilizes imported zinc concentrates (45%) besides local supply. New mines at Balaria and Rajpur-Dariba (Rajasthan) are being worked out to improve the supply of zinc concen­trates to the plant.

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3. Hindustan Zinc Ltd., Vishakhapatnam

This plant has also been erected by the HZL with installed capacity of 30,000 tons per annum which is being increased to 40,000 tons per annum. The plant collects its zinc ore from Agnigundala mines (Andhra Pradesh) formerly owned by the Hindustan Copper Ltd.

4. Zinc Lead Complex, Chanderiya

This is an integrated lead-zinc project built under the British aid. It has installed capacity of 70,000 tpa of zinc, 1.76 lakh of sulphuric acid, 375 of cadmium and 74 of silver. The plant is also developing a captive power house at Gosunda dam to maintain regular supply of power to the plant.

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The HZL is planning to increase its existing zinc capacity by 30,000 tpa, set up a new lead smelter and a diammonium phosphate plant with other companies at a cost of Rs.450 crores. It will utilize the latest technologies for high zinc recovery, lower power consumption and environmental com­patibility.

Production

Zinc smelting started in the country after 1967. The total production of zinc was 20,800 tons in 1973 which increased to 45,500 tons in 1980-81 and 170,000 tons in 1996-97.

The consumption of zinc in India has raised from 60,000 tons in 1960-61 to over 1.40 lakh tones in 1991-92. With the expansion of industries, the demand for the zinc has risen steeply since then to over 2.24 lakh tones in 1997-98 from 1. 58 lakh tones in 1993-94.

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In making its projections , the Working Group for Non-ferrous Metals has indi­cated that demand for zinc may rise to 2,86,000 tones by 2001 -02 and to 5,12,200 tones by 2011 – 12. According to a study group the indigenous pro­duction will take care of 90 per cent of the demand and proper care is taken to augment the smelting capacity. The public sector consulting engineers, Macon, was commissioned by the HZL to prepare a pre-feasibility study for establishing the new smelter.

Imports

Zinc and zinc concentrates are important items of the country’s imports. But their quantity is declin­ing owing to increase in indigenous production. India imported Rs. 33.13 crores worth of zinc and zinc concentrates in 1978-79. The HZL also ex­ported 1,155 tons of zinc to the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan in 1992-93. It has also applied for registration of its brand with the London Metal Exchange.

The HZL is planning to set up a joint venture form in profitable deposits abroad to ensure steady supply of metals for its new smelters. Some overseas companies have approached HZL to set up turn-key projects abroad. The UNDP had sought HZL’s serv­ices for mining projects in neighbouring Bhutan, Nepal and Pakistan.