Dhanbad, Oct. 26: The newly set up 1.35 million tonne per annum (MTPA) capacity cement grinding unit of ACC Limited, Sindri, started commercial production earlier this week, welcome news for Jharkhand where industrial MoUs are easily signed but commissioning the plants is harder.

ACC company secretary and head of compliance Burjor D. Nariman wrote to Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) corporate services on October 24 that the 1.35MTPA Sindri cement grinding unit had been commissioned and commercial production began with effect from October 22, 2016.

With this, production at ACC, which has 17 plants across India, is expected to increase to 33.42 MTPA.

The old Sindri unit of ACC, set up way back in 1955, so far had an installed capacity of 1 MTPA. Its new unit is part of ACC's Jamul integrated project under which twin cement grinding units were set up in Jamul in Chhattisgarh and Sindri in Jharkhand with a view to beef up production in eastern region.

The Jamul unit comprises a 2.79 MTPA clinker and 1.1 MTPA cement grinding unit. Sindri, on its part, does not have a clinker.

On raw materials, the Sindri plant gets granulated blast furnace slag from Tata Steel in Jamshedpur and Durgapur Steel Plant, gypsum from Rajasthan, Haldia in Bengal and Paradwip in Odisha.

The expansion plan of Sindri plant has got statutory clearance in 2009 and environment clearance in 2011.