Bhubaneswar: Nalco CMD Brijendra Pratap Singh here on Friday said the company will commission India’s first pilot gallium recovery plant this month, a joint initiative with BARC and Heavy Water Board, after a delay of one to two months caused by the late arrival of specialised imported equipment and consumables.Addressing a news conference, Singh said the pilot plant at Damanjodi in Koraput was now almost ready. “This plant is coming up for the first time in India. Certain spares and consumables had to come from outside, which delayed it by one or two months. The plant is now almost ready and we are going to start it this month itself,” he said.Gallium is a strategic high-tech metal, primarily because gallium compounds are important semiconductor materials. Sources said gallium will be recovered from spent process liquor generated at NALCO’s alumina refinery in Damanjodi.The CMD also outlined Nalco’s plans to expand its aluminium capacity and move towards more value-added products. He said demand for aluminium wire rods remained strong, driven particularly by the power sector, including expansion of electricity infrastructure, renewable energy and data centres.For its future expansion, Nalco is also exploring special-grade rolled products for aerospace, defence, cans and other specialised applications. Its consultant preparing the detailed project report (DPR) is studying existing imports as well as present and future domestic demand. “We will definitely go for products which are currently not made in the country,” Singh said, referring to the expansion strategy.On its larger expansion programme, Singh said Nalco remained committed to its 2030 commissioning target despite possible delays of a month or two. The DPR is expected to be completed around Feb-March, following which, ordering of packages would begin. Groundwork is expected to start subsequently, with the company working on a three-year implementation timeline.Singh also ruled out any possibility of Nalco’s privatisation. “There is no question of privatisation,” he said, pointing to the PSU’s profitability, strong margins and dividend payments to govt. He said govt’s mandate was for Nalco to expand further and the company had the financial strength to pursue its expansion plans.On lithium, Singh said non-invasive exploration had been completed in Argentina and the presence of lithium had been established. Nalco’s joint venture KABIL, in which the company has a 40% stake, is proceeding with drilling and further exploration. The exercise would help determine the lithium grade, appropriate processing technology and the commercial viability of mining and producing lithium carbonate for supply to India.