Odisha gets 28 technical bids for two iron ore blocks

JSPL, Tata Steel, Vedanta, JSW among bidders

Odisha has drawn encouraging response to the technical bids invited for Netrabandha Pahar and Kalamang iron ore blocks lined up for auctions. In all, 28 bidders including Tata Steel, Jindal Steel & Power Ltd (JSPL), JSW Steel, Vedanta, Essel Mining & Industries Ltd, Bhushan Power & Steel Ltd and National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) submitted the technical bids for the two blocks.

While the Netrabandha Pahar block meant for merchant mining attracted 16 bids, the Kalamang block reserved for an integrated steel plant got 12 offers. The technical bids were opened on Wednesday. Those who qualify the technical bids would be eligible for the financial bidding.

The companies who have submitted bids for Netrabandha Pahar are Serajuddin and Company, Shri Bajrang Power and Ispat Ltd, NMDC, MSPL Ltd, Maithan Ispat Ltd, Feegrade & Company Pvt Ltd, JSPL, Bhushan Power & Steel Ltd, JSW Steel Ltd, Essel Mining & Industries Ltd, Vedanta Ltd, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL), Shri Jagannath Steels & Power Ltd, Orissa Metaliks Pvt Ltd and Tata Metaliks Ltd.

Both the blocks have been explored to the G2 level, meeting the eligibility criteria for auctions under Mineral Auction Rules, 2015.

The Netrabandh Pahar block located in Sundargarh’s Koira sector has geological reserves of 77.25 million tonnes of which 61.9 million tonnes are high grade deposits. The total concession area is spread over 139 hectares with forest land making up 112 hectares. The onus would be on the successful bidder to obtain all regulatory clearances.

The Kalamang iron ore block got offers from Tata Steel Ltd, Tata Sponge Iron Ltd, Bhushan Steel Ltd, JSW Steel Ltd, Vedanta Ltd, Rashmi Metaliks Ltd, Thakur Prasad Sao and Sons Ltd, JSPL, Shyam Metaliks & Energy Ltd, RINL and Shri Jagannath Steels & Power Ltd.

Apart from the two iron ore blocks, Odisha had also invited technical bids for Garramura limestone block which drew a blank. Previously, two limestone blocks have gone under the hammer in the state with Dalmia Cement and Thriven Earthmovers emerging as the preferred bidders.

Odisha was also the first state to auction an iron ore block — the Ghoraburhani-Sagasahi block bagged by Essar Steel. Essar Steel has proposed a production capacity of 7.16 million tonne per annum (mtpa) run of the mine product from the iron ore block. As part of the project, the steel company is also setting up a crushing & screening plant and a beneficiation plant with a capacity of 6.7 mtpa over an area of 139.16 hectares (ha) at Ghoraburhani, Sagasahi and Kalmang villages situated in Sundargarh district.