A few days ago, National Aluminium Company (Nalco) advertised in Indonesian newspapers asking for companies to bid for coal supplies for its 5 lakh tonne aluminium smelter in that country. If this is true, then what happened to its deal with MEC Coal, Indonesia?
In April this year, Madhu Koneru, executive vice-chairman, MEC Coal, had told DNA that the company has signed a deal with Nalco to supplying 6 million tonne of unwashed coal for Nalco’s 5 lakh tonne aluminium smelter and 1,250 mw power plant. However, with the new advertisement by Nalco, MEC’s role in the project stands on a shaky ground.
In an e-mailed reply, MEC Coal told DNA, “Our agreement with Nalco still stands. Nalco, as a government organisation, is following the proper procedure for large investments and optimisation of infrastructure and resources is being assessed.”
When asked about supplying coal to Nalco’s Indonesian smelter, MEC said, “Yes, MEC plans to supply Nalco with 6 million tonne of coal.”
BL Bagra, director (finance), Nalco, however, has a different story to tell. He said that Nalco has no contract with MEC for coal supplies. “We had a MoU with RAK Minerals and Metals Investments (RMMI), the parent company of MEC Coal. The MoU was for a joint venture for the smelter and power plant. As part of the MoU, the company has an option of picking up 26% stake in the smelter and power plant but nothing was finalised on the coal supply front.”
Bagra also said that the MoU nowhere stated that MEC had the right to coal linkages and was signed exclusively for a joint venture in the smelter and power plant.
He said that as a procedural requirement, Nalco had invited all coal miners to bid and MEC continues to be a potential JV partner and bidder for coal supplies. “It will take
us 4 years to build the smelter and power plant and we are looking for companies which could build rail, port and other infrastructure by the time our project comes up,” Bagra said.
“MEC is very confident that they will meet all our requirements but we are expecting at least 8-9 companies to take part in the bidding.”
Nalco plans to spend $4 billion on the aluminium smelter and power plant in Indonesia. The firm had signed a Memorandum of Association with the Indonesian government for the smelter in 2008.
The project was supposed to come onstream this year. However, it was marred by procedural delays in Indonesia. Nalco expects to maintain a
2:1 debt to equity ratio for the project.
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