The Sterlite Copper has started winding up operations’in its oxygen plant on Friday as July 31 is the last day for the generation of medical-grade oxygen as permitted by the Supreme Court.
An official statement said the Supreme Court, following an appeal from Sterlite Copper, had given three months for generating medical-grade oxygen from its oxygen plant on the sealed copper smelter plant in SIPCOT Industrial Complex in Thoothukudi to produce the life-saving gas to save COVID-19 patients. As the duration was about to end on Saturday the winding up operations commenced on Friday to give sufficient time for the defrosting process.
The oxygen plant that had supplied 2,132 tonnes of high purity medical-grade oxygen to 32 districts of Tamil Nadu had a stock of 134 tonnes of liquid medical oxygen on the plant premises. Since the Sterlite Copper’s petition seeking six months extension for operation of oxygen plant was pending before the Supreme Court, the copper major was optimistic that it would get favourable orders from the apex court, the statement said.
Besides sending the 134 tonnes of medical oxygen to the districts in need of the life-saving gas, the fresh orders would further enable Sterlite Copper to serve the people, especially the patients in need of oxygen. “We have also requested the State government to allow us 2MW of power supply, which will be used to keep the oxygen plant in standby condition and will also be essential in dispatching the stock of oxygen remaining at our plant,” the statement added.
Sterlite Copper assured that the plant would be ready to resume oxygen generation as and when it was directed to do so by the court.
