Korba, Oct 12 (PTI) Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO), a unit of Vedanta Aluminium, has achieved a major milestone in India's aluminium sector by producing the first metal from the country's largest 525 kilo Ampere (kA) smelter, the company said.

The breakthrough marks a significant step under BALCO's ongoing one million tonne per annum (MTPA) expansion project and establishes a new national benchmark in aluminium smelting technology, it said in a statement.

The BALCO plant is located in Chhattisgarh's Korba district.

The 525 kA smelter represents a leap in technological advancement, surpassing the earlier Indian benchmark of 378 kA and setting new standards in scale, efficiency, and operational excellence, the statement said.

"Bharat Aluminium Company Limited has achieved a major milestone in India's aluminium sector by producing the first metal from the country's largest 525 kA smelter," it said.

The achievement underscores BALCO's role in driving India's aluminium self-reliance and industrial growth, the statement added.

With the commissioning of the new 0.435 MTPA potline, BALCO's total aluminium production capacity will reach 1 MTPA, placing the company among the select global producers in the 'Million Tonne Club', it said.

This expansion supports the Government of India's 'Make in India' vision and advances the nation's self-reliance by ensuring greater availability of domestically produced, high-quality aluminium for critical sectors such as defence, aerospace, automotive, construction, and power transmission, it said.

With the ramp-up, BALCO will contribute over 20 per cent of India's total aluminium production, positioning itself at the forefront of the nation's industrial progress, the statement said.

"With our entry into the Million Tonne Club, BALCO is scripting a new chapter in India's journey of self-reliance," BALCO's Chief Executive Officer and Director Rajesh Kumar said.

Aluminium is a metal of national importance, with applications spanning strategic sectors and everyday life, Kumar said.

"Through this expansion, we are not only boosting domestic capacity but also generating new avenues of employment, spurring allied industries, and driving economic growth in Chhattisgarh and beyond, reinforcing our commitment to nation-building with responsibility, efficiency, and innovation," he said.

With BALCO's capacity expansion to 1 MTPA, Vedanta Aluminium will scale up to 2.8 MTPA, positioning it as the world's largest aluminium producer and a key enabler of India's industrial self-reliance, the statement said.

This milestone is made possible through close collaboration with leading global and domestic partners, including Larsen & Toubro (L&T), Asea Brown Boveri (ABB), Siemens, and Guiyang Aluminium Magnesium Design & Research Institute Co, Ltd (GAMI), who have brought in advanced engineering, automation, and efficiency-driven systems, it said. PTI COR TKP GK

Capacity expansion into million tonne production scale advances domestic aluminium self reliance and boosts strategic sector supply and employment. BALCO commissioned a new high current aluminium smelter that achieves a technological advance over prior domestic benchmarks and enables a one million tonne production scale, enhancing domestic supply of aluminium for strategic sectors and advancing manufacturing self reliance through collaboration with global and domestic engineering partners.