₹17k Cr Green Steel Plant, Coal Gasification Projects to Come Up in Chandrapur

An integrated green steel plant and a coal gasification project will come up in Bhadravati in Maharashtra's Chandrapur district with an estimated investment of ₹17,000 crore, providing jobs to more than 10,000 persons and giving a boost to the economy of Vidarbha, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy said on Saturday.

Addressing a gathering in the MIDC area of Telwasa in Bhadravati where he laid the foundation stones of the two mega projects, the Union Minister of Coal and Mines said the initiative will result in generation of high value items like ammonia nitrate, green steel and hydrogen, which need to be imported in large quantities at present.

"It is part of efforts to make India atmanirbhar, which is the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Coal plays a key role in the industrial development of the nation. Out of seven such projects nationwide, four are being established in this specific region," he said while lauding Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' leadership for keeping Maharashtra on course to become a USD one trillion economy.

Addressing the gathering, Fadnavis said Vidarbha has abundant mineral wealth, and the two projects set to come up in Bhadravati aim to utilise these resources in a pollution-free manner.

"Climate change poses a major global challenge, impacting industries and agriculture, and strong emphasis has been placed on utilizing mineral resources in a manner that ensures zero pollution. PM Modi and Union Minister Reddy have taken the initiative to facilitate mineral production using the world's most advanced technologies," he said.

Furthermore, the local tourism sector also stands to benefit from this development, Fadnavis added.

Listing development projects in Vidarbha, the CM said 'steel hub' is being developed in Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, Nagpur, Bhandara, and Gondia districts.

"This region has already attracted investment of ₹3 lakh crore, which is expected to generate employment opportunities for 100,000 people. The tribal youth from Gadchiroli are even pursuing education in Australia. The future of this sector lies in green steel. There is a 100 export market available for all the green steel produced by these industries," he asserted.

He asked officials to ensure 70-80% of jobs in these projects are earmarked for local youth to ensure development of the region.

Currently, Maharashtra's economy is the 30th largest in the world and is bigger than that of several nations, the CM told the gathering.