BHUBANESWAR: In a bid to give a boost to the pace of industrialisation in the State, the High Level Clearance Authority (HLCA), headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, on Tuesday approved investments worth Rs 26,076 crore in different sectors. In the backdrop of coalgate threatening to tarnish the image of the Chief Minister, the HLCA, however, did not give approval to proposals for establishment of any more thermal power plants. It considered proposals worth Rs 1 lakh crore for 15 projects, including the thermal power plants, but cleared only six. These will have direct employment potential for 4,303 people. The proposal of smelter plant and a captive power unit by aluminium major Nalco was cleared. The CPSU already has a coal block which would meet the company’s coal requirement. Nalco’s proposal for setting up 0.5 mtpa smelter unit and 1,260 MW capacity captive power plant (CPP) has got the nod of the State Government, Chief Secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik told mediapersons. The Navratna PSU would invest Rs 16,345.89 crore. The project requires 2,500 acres in Sundargarh district and its 50 cusec water requirement will be provided from Hirakud reservoir. Uttam Galva Steel Ltd, which has a steel project in Keonjhar district, would set up HR Coil plant of 2 mtpa capacity at Kalinga Nagar with an investment of Rs 4,000 crore The project will facilitate downstream units, the Chief Secretary said. The proposal of Bhusan Steels Limited to set up 12 mt iron ore beneficiation plant at Kumundi, 4 mt per annum pellet plant at Jalpaposi and slurry pipeline project from Meramundali to Keonjhar with an estimated investment of Rs 1,280 crore were cleared. The Chennai-based Bharath Coal Chemicals Ltd (BCCL) has been given the go-ahead for setting up coal-based ammonia plant of 3,46,500 tonnes per annum capacity at Paradip with an investment of Rs 1,575 crore. Sonepur Energy and Oil City Private Limited (SEC)’s proposal to set up an energy academy and petroleum complex with a total investment of Rs 1,000 crore at Sonepur in Ganjam district was approved. Odisha Power Consortium, a subsidiary of VBC Group of Andhra Pradesh, will set up Rs 2,876-crore combined cycle power plant in Kendrapara. The proposal of Uttam Galva Steels Ltd to set up 3 mtpa steel plant in split locations (Keonjhar and Dubri) with an estimated investment of Rs 1,249.40 crore was cleared.