Bhubaneswar, Nov 17 (IANS): Steel Authority of India Ltd will expand the capacity of the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) in Odisha to 10 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) at a projected investment of Rs.30,000-35,000 crore by 2025-26, said SAIL Chairman Chandra Sekhar Verma.

"We plan to expand the annual capacity of the plant from 4.5 mtpa to 10 mtpa by 2025-26," Verma told reporters here Monday.

He discussed the raw material linkage and other issues for the proposed expansion with union Steel Secretary Rakesh Singh, who reviewed different steel projects of Odisha with state government officials.

Verma said SAIL will embark on the biggest expansion drive to increase its capacity to 50 mtpa by 2025-26 from the current 23 mtpa.

He said the Odisha government is fully committed to providing raw material linkage for the proposed expansion project. Odisha has already granted six mining leases to SAIL.

"We want controlling stake in Neelachal Ispat Nigam Ltd to run the plant properly. Talks are on with both the state government and Centre about this," said the SAIL chairman.

NINL, jointly promoted by MMTC Ltd, Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha Limited (IPICOL) and other government agencies, has a 1.1 million tonne pig iron manufacturing plant at Kalinganagar in Jajpur district.