Tata Steel Mining aims to double ferro chrome capacity to 900,000 tonne

Had acquired three Chromite mines with 50-year leases in the 2020 mineral auctions

Tata Steel Mining Limited (TSML), formerly known as TS Alloys Limited and a 100 per cent subsidiary of Tata Steel Limited, is firming up plans for growth in its ferro chrome manufacturing capacity in India from 450,000 tonne per annum at present to 900,000 tonne in the near future.

TSML had acquired three Chromite mines in the 2020 mineral auctions, namely Sukinda Chromite Mine, Saruabil Chromite Mine and Kamarda Chromite Mine, for which leases were granted for 50 years.

The mines have now been operational with an annual capacity of over 1.5 million tonne making the company the largest player in chrome ore mining in the country, said Tata Steel in its release today.

“We will take the organic as well as the inorganic route to augment our Ferro Chrome manufacturing capacity in India, leveraging the strength of the good quality of chrome ore availability. This will make TSML the top ferro chrome player in India and among the top-five globally. It makes sense to focus on value addition and convert the chrome ore to ferro chrome,” D. B. Sundara Ramam, vice president (raw materials) at Tata Steel, and chairperson of Tata Steel Mining Limited was quoted as saying.

The idea behind the initiative is to use the chromite ore optimally to make ferro chrome to serve its growing base of domestic and global customers, who are in the business of manufacturing stainless steel.