Bhubaneswar, Aug. 23: Major industrial houses have lined up to establish their units in coastal Kendrapara.

So far there are no industries worth the name in the district despite it being well connected to the state’s mineral belts and two major ports — Paradip and Dhamra.

SPI Ports Private Limited has inked an agreement with the state government to set up a 1,320MW coal-based plant at Alailo in Mahakalapada block. Around Rs 6,609 core will be invested in the project.

Industries minister Niranjan Pujari said: “The land acquisition process by the Industrial Development Corporation of Odisha (Idco) is going on for the project.”

Besides, the Orissa Power Consortium’s proposal to set up a 750MW gas-based plant has been approved by the high-level committee of the state government. The project will come up at an investment of Rs 2,876 core.

The minister informed the Assembly that the state government had already provided 15.53 acres at Kalagada to Subhag Properties Private Limited to set up a calcinated petroleum coke manufacturing plant. Idco has already transferred 2.23 acres for this. Another industrial estate has been set up at Balabhadrapu to rehabilitate the sawmill owners. The state government has already set up set up an industrial estate at Tinimuhani in Kendrapara district.

Pujari said the government had planned to acquire 200 acres to set up an industrial estate. “The proposed industrial corridor by the Chandikhol-Paradip expressway will help industrialisation in the district,” he said.

An official said the proposed Rs 2,77,734 crore Petroleum Chemical and Investment Region near Paradip would certainly boost the industrialisation process in Marshaghai and Mahakalapada areas of the district. Steel major JSW Steel, the flagship company of the $11 billion of JSW Group, has evinced interest in setting up a port-based integrated steel plant in the district with an investment of nearly Rs 15,000 crore.