Vedanta Aluminium’s refinery expansion project at Lanjigarh, in Kalahandi district of Odisha, has received a no objection from villagers near the plant.

The project involves raising the capacity of Vedanta’s Lanjigarh aluminium refinery from the existing one million tpa to three million tpa.

A majority of the nearly 2,000 people present at the public hearing held in Biswanathpur village on Wednesday, gave a no objection to the refinery expansion project.

No time line has been provided for the refinery expansion as it will be linked to raw material security. Vedanta Aluminium has been struggling to source sufficient bauxite to feed the one million tpa alumina refinery since its commissioning in August 2007.

Vedanta's need for alumina, produced by refining bauxite, will nearly triple to 4.5 million tonne by 2015, as it adds aluminium smelting capacity.

According to the Ministry of Mines, India's aluminium consumption is likely to rise from its present 1.6 million tpa to five million tpa by 2015.