Oct. 12, 2022 - Mineral-based specialty solutions provider, Imerys, will be expanding its production capacity, Research & Development and sustainability efforts at its manufacturing plant in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.  

The ₹350-crore Visakhapatnam plant currently has a capacity to produce 30,000 tonne of calcium aluminate binder for use in the Indian refractory and construction industries. 

“Imerys plans to expand capacity to 50,000 tonnes by 2030, to serve rising demand from the domestic steel and cement sectors, which continue to add capacity across the country. This makes the Vizag facility, the single largest site and investment in India for Imerys’ refractory, and construction businesses,” the company said in a release on Wednesday.

At the formal inauguration of the existing plant in Visakhapatnam held today in the presence of Emmanuel Lenain, the French Ambassador to India, Philippe Bourg, Senior Vice President, Imerys said: “India is the second largest steel and cement manufacturer in the world and therefore a key market for Imerys. We have been present in India for decades through imports.’‘ In 2021, it generated sales of over ₹160 crore. 

Strong willingness
“Imerys has a strong willingness to keep on growing and reinforce our presence in the Indian refractory market but also in the infrastructure sector with sustainable solutions,’‘ he added. 

Segi Idicula, Managing Director, Imerys India added: “Our Visakhapatnam facility will address the strong demand for refractories and other high temperature materials, essential to support the growing steel, cement and other metallurgical industries. Vizag is an important industrial hub in India with great port connectivity and a business-friendly environment, leading to efficient operations to meet the increasing demand not just within the country but exports too.’‘

Support local product
As part of its strong focus on developing bespoke products for the local markets, Imerys is also in the process of setting up a regional Research & Development Centre at Visakhapatnam. The centre will support local product development and innovation for specific customer mandates in India, and Imerys expects that it will also contribute to augmenting the company’s global technical and manufacturing standards. 

While the company remains focused on serving Indian demand, the Vizag manufacturing facility is well equipped for servicing overseas markets such as Asia Pacific and the Middle East, contributing to India’s efforts to strengthen its position in the global manufacturing supply chain.  The company had enlarged its globally trusted Secar range of products for the market through its locally manufactured product calcium aluminate binders, ideally suited for refractory solutions and high end dry-mix mortars in infrastructure. It is investing an additional ₹12 crore in equipment to further increase operations to produce Secar 71.