The Aditya Birla group has planned to set up an integrated aluminium complex in Orissa, initial talks for which were held recently with state government officials.

The proposed plant, costing Rs.15,000 crore, would be an integrated facility with an alumina refinery of 1 million tpa, an aluminium smelter of 2.6 lakh tpa and a power plant of 630 MW.

The alumina refinery will be located at Kansariguda in Koraput district, while the smelter and power plant will come up at Sambalpur, in proximity to the coal pithead.

Meanwhile, the AV Birla group is in the midst of setting up a 1 million tpa alumina refinery at Kashipur in Rayagada district of Orissa. The project is currently stifled by resistance from the local population.

It is understood that the Birla group has so far spent Rs.110 crore on these two ventures, largely on land acquisition.