Bhubaneswar: Taking forward its plans to industrialise the state, the Odisha government today approved investments worth Rs 26,076 crore in different sectors including that of aluminium major Nalco to set up a smelter plant and a captive power unit. The High Level Clearance Authority (HLCA) chaired by chief minister Naveen Patnaik approved six projects involving investment of Rs 26,076.89 crore. A total of 4,303 people will get direct employment in the projects, chief secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik told reporters. Nalco's proposal for setting up a 0.5 mtpa smelter unit and a 1260 MW capacity captive power plant has got the nod of the state government, Patnaik said, adding that the Navratna PSU would invest Rs 16,345.89 crore. Nalco's proposed smelter and CPP plants require 2,500 acre in Sundargarh district and would provide direct employment to 3,400 people. The project requires 50 cusec of water which would be provided from Hirakud reservoir, he said. The CPSU already has a coal block which would meet the company's coal requirement, he said. Uttam Galva Steel Ltd which has a steel project in Keonjhar district, proposed to set up a HR Coil plant of 2mtpa capacity at Kalinga Nagar at an investment of Rs 4,000 crore. The project would provide jobs to 308 people. The project will facilitate downstream units, Patnaik said. Another project with investment of Rs 2876 crore, was proposed by Andhra Pradesh based Odisha Power Consortium of VBC Group. The company proposed to set up a gas-based combined cycle power plant to generate 750 MW of electricity. The project would be set up in Kendrapada district over 150 acre of land. The plant would require 15 cusec water and provide jobs to 72 people, the chief secretary said. Bhusan Steels Ltd's proposal for a 12 mtpa iron ore beneficiation plant and a 4 mtpa pelletisation plant in Keonjhar district also got approval. The company proposed to invest Rs 1280 crore in the project which includes a slury pipeline from Keonjhar to its steel plant site in Dhenkanal district. The new project requires 500 acre and would provide employment to 115 people, he said. Other projects which also got the HLCA nod were Chennai-based Bharat Coal & Chemicals Limited's coal-based ammonia plant in Paradip at an investment of Rs 1575 crore and setting up of an Energy Academy in Ganjam district. The Academy, first of its kind in the state, would produce manpower suited for energy, particularly in the oil sector.