NMDC Commissions ₹5,427-Crore Integrated Iron Ore Project in Chhattisgarh

Key facts

• State-owned iron ore miner NMDC Limited commissioned its 2 million tonne per annum (MTPA) pellet plant at Nagarnar in Chhattisgarh, completing a ₹5,427-crore integrated project linking its Bacheli mining operations with the Nagarnar steel plant.
• The commissioned project comprises a new iron ore processing plant at Bacheli, a 135-kilometre, 15 MTPA slurry pipeline passing through 61 villages across Bastar and Dantewada districts, and the 2 MTPA pellet plant at Nagarnar.
• The pipeline transports processed iron ore concentrate from Bacheli to Nagarnar and is intended to reduce road-based ore movement and dependence on railways.
• The pellet plant uses Straight Grate Induration technology to convert iron ore fines and slimes from NMDC's Bailadila mines into pellets for steelmaking.
• NMDC Chairman and Managing Director Amitava Mukherjee monitored the first production run remotely from the company's Hyderabad headquarters due to adverse weather at the project site.
• The project is part of NMDC's long-term strategy to scale total iron ore production capacity to 100 million tonnes.