The group led by billionaire Gautam Adani is in the process of constructing the world's largest single-location copper manufacturing plant in Mundra, Gujarat. According to the information provided, this initiative aims to reduce India's reliance on imports and contribute to the country's energy transition. The facility, with an estimated cost of $ 1.2 billion, is expected to commence operations for the first phase by the end of March. The complete capacity of 1 million tonnes is anticipated to be operational by the fiscal year ending in March 2029, as informed by two individuals familiar with the matter.
It has been noted that India is following the lead of China and other nations in significantly increasing the production of copper, a metal that plays a crucial role in the shift away from fossil fuels. Various technologies essential for the energy transition, including electric vehicles (EVs), charging infrastructure, solar photovoltaics (PV), wind power, and batteries, all depend on the availability of copper.
The subsidiary of the Adani Enterprises (AEL), known as Kutch Copper (KCL), is responsible for establishing a greenfield copper refinery project. This project is aimed at producing refined copper with an annual capacity of 1 million tonnes, to be achieved in two phases. The financial closure for the first phase, which has a capacity of 0.5 million tonnes per annum, was accomplished through a syndicated club loan in June 2022.
