Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta's Sterlite Copper on Monday came out with an advertisement inviting expression of interest (EoI) for carrying out plant "restart activities" at its Thoothukudi unit in Tamil Nadu, that got closed more than five years ago following an order issued by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB).
The EoI for restart comes when the company is still awaiting the final judgement on the issue, and the court has only allowed it to do maintenance work.
"We have initiated the upkeep and maintenance activities at the plant as allowed by the Supreme Court vide its order dated May 4, 2023, in coordination with the district authorities.
"The final hearing of the matter is scheduled in August 2023," said a company official.
According to the advertisement, interested parties should be capable of employing around 4,000 people (both skilled and unskilled) in and around Thoothukudi.
The scope of the EoI includes safety assessment and audit of the structures and building, repair and rectification, engaging with OEM or experts for certification, replacement of plant and machinery and commissioning of plant and machinery to achieve the designed capacity.
"We also recognise that the Sterlite Copper plant following its closure for over five years requires significant restoration efforts.
"As an industry leader with global technology and standards, the procurement and deployment of materials and resources necessary for the restoration and restart of the plant can be a time-consuming process, spanning several months. In the context, while we await the final judgment, the expression of interest (EOI) is floated to ensure the best partners are identified as part of our preparatory measures for resource planning," the official added.
In addition, the interested parties should also look at mechanical fabrication and electrification works, electrical and instrumentation works, material handling equipment, scaffolding and painting jobs, civil and associated works and repair works, among others.
In early June, the district administration allowed the company to maintain the plant for operations like removing remaining gypsum and leachate handling operations, among others.
This was based on a judgement by a three-member Supreme Court bench headed by the Chief Justice of India, Justice D Y Chandrachud, in May, allowing Sterlite Copper to carry out maintenance works.
Production at the plant has been suspended since 2018 after protests broke out against the firm's plan to double its annual capacity to 800,000 tonnes.
Subsequent police firing caused the death of 13 people and injured 102.
At the peak of the pandemic last April, the Supreme Court allowed the firm to produce oxygen for medical purposes.
The plant was set up in 1996 and has a capacity of around 400,000 MTPA.
Before its closure, the plant was catering to around 40 per cent of the country's refined copper demand.
The plant facilities include a state-of-the-art rod plant, 160 mega-watts captive power plant, oxygen plant, wastewater treatment plant, sulphuric acid plant and phosphoric acid plant.
Last week, a nine-member local management committee (LMC), constituted by the district authorities, the Sterlite Copper unit as a first step to removing the hazardous material evacuation works.
Under the chairmanship of sub-collector Gaurav Kumar, the committee was reportedly empowered to identify the vendor for evacuation and the procurement of the materials.
In April, the ministry of home affairs informed the Rajya Sabha that it was examining complaints against certain NGOs for misusing foreign funds to organise protests around the Vedanta Sterlite copper plant.
During the hearing, the upkeep of the plant was supported by a lawyer appointed by the non-governmental organisations, representing nine panchayats, 13 coastal Sangams, suppliers and downstream units.
