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An electrolytic cell explosion at India’s Balco aluminum plant has led to a production shutdown, resulting in losses of 4 billion rupees.
2017-07-18
According to Indian media reports, an electrolytic cell at the Balco aluminum plant recently exploded, halting an entire production line and resulting in economic losses of 4 billion rupees.
According to reports, a team of experts has arrived at the accident site to investigate the cause and assess the extent of the damage. They are also determining the technical factors behind the incident. Preliminary estimates indicate that losses exceed 4 billion rupees (1 yuan = 10 Indian rupees). A senior Balco official stated that, for safety reasons, all 168 electrolytic cells have been shut down. The accident occurred during a shift change. Several hours after the incident, production could have continued by bypassing the damaged cells; however, due to safety concerns and other considerations, all cells on that line were brought offline. With substantial amounts of molten metal still contained within the cells, the losses are substantial. All of these cells will need to be overhauled and relined.
The overhaul and restart of this production line will take 4 to 6 months. Balco Aluminium, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources, is located in Korba and recently commissioned an electrolytic aluminium capacity of 325,000 tonnes per year. The explosion occurred at cell number 1331 on Line 2. Following the blast, molten metal splashed onto the floor. Since all cells are connected in series, management decided to bypass the damaged cell to minimize losses to the remaining cells and keep production running. However, because bypassing the faulty cell proved extremely challenging, the entire line was shut down. The plant operates two lines, each with 168 cells, for a total of 336 cells. The affected line has been taken offline, while the other line remains in normal operation.
A former Balco employee said that improper installation of the anodes may have been one of the causes of the accident. The plant employs many new workers who lack experience in handling such emergencies. Following a 2009 incident in which a chimney under construction collapsed, this marks the plant’s second serious accident. At present, the company’s 1,200 MW power plant has begun generating electricity, and its aluminum smelter recently commenced operations. Indian labor and industrial safety officials stated that relevant notifications have already been issued to Balco.
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