8° 49' 18" N, 78° 4' 38" E

Vedanta has two copper businesses, the first based in India and the second at Konkola Copper Mines in Zambia, which was acquired in November 2004.
The copper business in India is held within Sterlite Industries (India) Ltd.  There is some captive copper mining, but the business is principally in smelting and refining.  Sterlite produces finished copper in the form of cathode some of which is then converted to copper rod.  The initial process is carried out at the smelter, based at Tuticorin in southern India, and there are refineries and copper rod plants at Tuticorin and Silvassa, in western India.  Sterlite owns two copper mines in Australia which supplied around 11% of Sterlite's copper concentrate requirements in 2005-06.  One of the mines was closed in July 2005.    In May 2005 a new 300,000 tpa smelter was commissioned.  This replaced the previous smelter which had capacity of 180,000 tpa.

Expansion commissioned in April 2005

- Smelter Capacity increased from 180 KTPA to 300 KTPA
- New 120 KTPA Cathode Refinery at Tuticorin increasing total capacity to 300 KTPA
- New 90 KTPA Rod Plant increasing total capacity to 240 KTPA
- Phosphoric Acid Plant expanded to from 120 KTPA to 180 KTPA

December 3, 2010 - Sterlite Industries (India) Limited (“Sterlite”) today announces the completion of the acquisition of the Skorpion Zinc Mine (“Skorpion”) in Namibia from Anglo American plc (“Anglo American”) for a cash consideration of approximately $707 million.  On 10 May 2010, Vedanta announced the acquisition of Anglo American’s Zinc Assets (“Anglo Zinc”) - for a total cash consideration of $1,338 million, on an attributable, debt and cash free basis. Anglo Zinc comprises the 100 per cent owned Skorpion mine in Namibia, the 100 per cent owned Lisheen mine in Ireland and the 74 per cent owned Black Mountain Mines, which includes the Black Mountain mine and Gamsberg project in South Africa.  Skorpion has been acquired by a subsidiary of Sterlite Infra Limited, itself a wholly owned subsidiary of Sterlite. It was intended that the acquisition of Anglo Zinc would be undertaken by Hindustan Zinc Limited (“HZL”), a subsidiary of Sterlite, subject to approval from the Indian Government as shareholder, which was not received within the contractual completion timeline for Skorpion. The acquisitions of the Lisheen mine and Black Mountain Mines are expected to be completed on schedule Anglo Zinc is an excellent operational and strategic fit with our existing business and will create significant long term value for shareholders. This acquisition will consolidate our position as the world’s largest integrated zinc - lead producer with significant reserves and resources of 478 million tonnes.  Commenting on the transaction, Anil Agarwal, Chairman said: "We are delighted to have completed the first phase of the acquisition of Anglo Zinc assets. Skorpion Zinc Mine is a high quality zinc asset and will complement our existing portfolio. We look forward to working with Skorpion’s team and remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of sustainability and exploring growth opportunities.”

October 14, 2010 - The trouble for metal giant Sterlite at its copper plant in Thoothukudi compounded on Wednesday after a contract worker died of acid burn injuries on Wednesday morning.  S. Muthukrishnan, 24, driver of a tanker lorry that carried sulphuric acid from the harbour to the Sterlite Industries’ copper smelter unit, suffered acid burns inside the plant premises on September 18.   According to officials at the Sipcot police station, Muthukrishnan was standing on the tanker while the acid was being unloaded. They said he accidentally fell on the acid that had spilled on the ground, suffering fatal injuries.  Environmental activists and politicians, including CPI state assistant secretary C. Mahendran, who have been campaigning against the Sterlite unit over allegations of damaging local environment, raked up the issue leading to a controversy on Wednesday, which was accentuated by a seemingly hasty post-mortem analysis done early in the morning.  Relatives of the worker refused to receive the body from the medical college hospital there and staged a protest, which was withdrawn only after senior police officials who rushed to the spot promised to conduct a proper inquiry and take action against anyone found responsible.   Sterlite was in the news recently after the Madras High Court came down on it for polluting the environment and directed it to close the plant, an order that was stayed by the Supreme Court.  However, despite the legal breather, the company is still facing the ire of activists and local public who have continued their campaign against the copper smelting unit.

September 30, 2010 - Sterlite Industries, part of the London-based Vedanta Resources, has approached the Supreme Court to stay the Madras High Court's order closing its copper smelter plant in Tuticorin with immediate effect.  Also, the company has filed a review petition in the High Court seeking three weeks time to implement its order, saying the plant producing sulphuric and phosphoric acid cannot be shut down instantly.  'The company has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court to stay the High Court's closure order. We have also filed a review petition before the High Court to give three weeks time to comply with its closure order,' Iyer Sundar Raj, public relations head, told IANS over phone from Tuticorin.  He reiterated the company's resolve to seek all legal remedies so that the 400,000 tonne per annum (tpa) plant starts functioning as before.  'What is encouraging is the support from employees, general public and others for the continuance of the plant.  Posters have come up in Tuticorin in support of the plant,' said Raj.  Asked whether the National Trust for Clean Environment (NTCE) plans to file a contempt of court petition against Sterlite for operating the plant despite the closure order, NTCE counsel G. Ramapriya told IANS: 'We do not have any such plans.'

September 29, 2010 - Just a month after the Union ministry of environment and forests rejected the proposal to mine Niyamgiri hills for its aluminum refinery in Orissa, Vedanta Resources Plc. has suffered another major setback with the Madras High Court (HC) ordering Sterlite Industries, the group's flagship, to close its copper smelting plant at Thoothukudi for causing air and water pollution.
The HC passed orders based on the writ petitions filed by the National Trust for Clean Environment in 1996. While ordering the immediate closure of the plant that has a capacity of 4 lakh tonnes per annum, the court said the employees working at the unit were entitled for compensation from Sterlite under section 25-FFF of the Industrial Disputes Act. The court directed the Thoothukudi district collector to take immediate steps for the re-employment of workforce of the industry in other organizations, keeping in view their educational, technical qualifications and experience. The court blamed the authorities for not applying their mind while allowing the company to set up the plant. "Courts cannot afford to deal lightly with cases involving pollution of air and water. Those who discharge noxious polluting effluents into streams, river or any other water bodies and into the atmosphere inflicting harm on public health, should be dealt with strictly," observed, a division bench, comprising Justice Elipe Dharma Rao and Justice N Paul Vasantha Kumar, in their 25-page order.
The HC passed the judgement on a batch of writ petitions, including ones from National Trust for Clean Environment and MDMK general secretary Vaiko filed in 1997. The petitioners submitted that the then state and the Centre granted consent for the establishment of the company, ignoring the fact that Goa, Gujarat and Maharashtra had rejected the proposal to set up the smelter in their states. Amid huge public protests, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) gave its clearance to Sterlite in May 1995 to manufacture 234 tonnes of blister copper per day and 638 tonnes of sulphuric acid in the first phase, the petitioners said. Stating that several accidents had occurred due to continuous emission of concentrated sulphur-dioxide, the petitioners prayed for quashing of the environmental clearance given to the company.
The state and the central governments argued that there was no violation of law in granting permission to Sterlite. However, the bench rejected the authorites' contentions and said: "The material on record show that the continuing air pollution being caused by the noxious effluents discharged into the air by Sterlite is having a more devastating effect on the people living in the surroundings."

September 28, 2010 - The Madras High Court on Tuesday ordered closing down of Sterlite Industries Copper Smelting Plant at Tuiticorin District.   Sterlite’s Tuiticorin Unit operations include a smelter, refinery, phosphoric acid plant, sulphuric acid plant and copper rod plant.  While the ‘National Trust for Clean Environment’ filed the first writ petition against the granting of environmental clearance to Sterlite Industries in 1996, ten writ petitions were filed subsequently by various political parties and groups.  The common order was delivered by Justice Ellipe Dharmarao on behalf of the Division Bench comprising himself and Justice Paul Vasantha Kumar.
Sterlite’s copper plant was originally proposed to be set up in Gurarat and Goa but due to stiff opposition from the local population was later shifted to Maharashtra. After Sterlite started construction work, the Maharashtra government yielded to public pressure and revoked the license granted to Sterlite.  It was in this background, Sterlite Industries set up its unit in Tuiticorin District in Tamil Nadu, amidst protests by the local population.
Though Rule 5 of the Environment (Protection) Rules 1986, places restriction on the location of industries from ecologically sensitive areas, Sterlite industries was situated well within 25 kms of ecologically sensitive and prohibited area, which aspect the central government should have taken into consideration before giving environmental clearance, said the Bench in its order.  The Bench also pointed out the ‘undue haste’ on the part of governmental authorities in granting permissions and consents to Sterlite.  Taking a leaf out of the Supreme Court’s judgment in Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board vs C. Kenchappa, reported in (2006) 6 SCC 371, the Bench pointed out that right to have a living atmosphere congenial to human existence is a part of the right to life.  
“Those who discharge noxious polluting effluents into streams, river or any other water bodies and to the atmosphere which inflicts harm on the public health at large, should be dealt with strictly” observed the Madras High Court in its 25 page order.   The Bench observed “Courts cannot afford to deal lightly with cases involving pollution of air and water. Those who discharge noxious polluting effluents into streams, river or any other water bodies and to the atmosphere which inflicts harm on the public health at large, should be dealt with strictly”. Noting that the Materials on record show that the continuing air pollution being caused by noxious effluents discharged into the air by Sterlites Company is having a more devastating effect on the people living in the surroundings.The Bench said “It is also seen that there has been unabated pollution by the respondent company which should be stopped at least now, by allowing these writ petitions, so as to protect the mother nature from being tarred”.
The Bench also observed “In any society there is natural tension between interests of individuals and the interest of the group as a whole. There is conflict between what individuals want and what serves their interests and what is needed for the welfare, safety and security of the entire group. Depending on the type of the view that is operative concerning the nature of dispute, the conflict will have to be resolved in total analysis of the pros and cons of the issue. In these circumstances, for the questions that was hovering in our mind that which shall prevail over the other-whether the interest of an individual/ small section society or the interest of the society at large, with no hesitation or second thought, we arrived at the irresistible conclusion that larger interest of the society outweigh the interest/benefit of smaller section of society for the common good of one and all”
Also the Bench directed that employees of Sterlite Industries are entitled for compensation as per the Section 25-FFF of the Industrial Disputes Act and the District Collector, Tuiticorin to take all necessary steps for re-employment of the workforce of to be closed down, Sterlite Industries.  The Bench directed District Collector, Tuticorin to take all necessary and immediate steps for the re-employment of the workforce of the company in some other companies/factories/organizations so as to protect their livelihood, to extend possible, keeping in view of their educational and technical qualifications and also experience in the field.
Advocate and Environmental activist Sundararajan, commenting on the judgment said, the judgment disproves the myth that development and environment cannot go together. Environment cannot be a victim of growth, he added.
Officials of Sterlite Industries were not available for comment.

From Vedanta Sterlite Industries (India) Ltd., India's largest non-ferrous metals and mining company, GEA Bischoff received an order for supply of two wet gas electrostatic precipitators. The precipitators are part of the process gas cleaning plant of a copper smelter in Tuticorin, India. Since 2001 GEA Bischoff has already supplied 9 wet electrostatic precipitators for this smelter.

October 15, 2009 - Vedanta Resources PLC said Thursday its subsidiary, Sterlite Industries (India) Limited (SLT) has expanded the 400 ktpa brownfield copper smelter project at Tuticorin India, together with an associated 160 MW (2x 80 MW) captive power plant.
- The project is expected to be commissioned by mid 2011.
- Post this expansion, the Company will be one of the largest single location custom copper smelters in the world with a total smelting capacity of 800 ktpa.
- The new smelter will utilise the ISA Smelt technology currently used in the existing smelter at Tuticorin.
- The total investment in this project is estimated at around INR2,300 crores [equivalent to $500 million].
- The capital investment includes the cost of the smelter, refinery, the captive power facility and other associated facilities such as sulphuric acid plant and phosphoric acid plant.
- The project will be funded through a mix of debt and internal accruals.