Vedanta Resources will invest $500m in expansions that will double its Indian copper smelting capacity.

Vedanta, which concentrates on India, said the expansion would annually increase capacity by 400,000t at the Tuticorin smelter operated by its Sterlite Industries affiliate, according to Reuters.

The company will become one of the world’s biggest single location custom copper smelters with an annual smelting capacity of 800,000t.

The project, which comprises a 160MW captive power project, is expected to be commissioned in mid-2011 and will be financed through debt and internal funds.