OREANDA-NEWS. March 9, 2011. National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), India’s leading aluminium producer and exporter, has signed an agreement with Earth Refining Company (P) Ltd. (a holding company of Alumina Refinery (P) Ltd.) for transfer of process knowhow development pertaining to preparation of alumina tri-hydrate from bauxite by calcining with sodium carbonate and limestone – an innovative process for extraction of alumina from bauxite.

Bayers’ process is normally used for extraction of alumina from bauxite, while the new process has been developed in-house by NALCO.

In an attempt to commercialize the R&D process so developed and patented by NALCO, the agreement was signed on behalf of the Company by Shri P.K. Mohapatra, ED (P&T) and Shri N. Patel, Managing Director, Earth Refining Company (P) Ltd. today, at NALCO’s Corporate Office.

It may be mentioned here that Earth Refining Company (P) Ltd., with majority stake in joint venture, is exploring possibility of about 26% equity from Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation to put up a plant using the process knowhow at Bhuj in Gujarat.