NMDC, NLC sign pact with Australian firm for R&D

: State-owned National Mineral Development Corporation and NLC India Ltd (formerly Neyveli Lignite Corporation) today signed a pact with Environmental Clean Technologies Ltd, Australia, for setting up a research and development facility in Tamil Nadu.

Under the pact, Australia and India would develop low emission iron and steel process through an integrated Coldry-Mamtor plant to be built in India.

The MoU was signed in Canberrain the presence of Indian High Commissionerfor Australia, Dr A M Gondane, according to an ASX filing by ECT.

The facility would focus on development of innovative technologies in iron and steel-making and a special purpose vehicle (SPV) would be created upon completion of the R&D phase of the project if the results were encouraging for setting up a steel manufacturing unit, the filing said.

"We are standing here on this day to sign this agreement to build the pilot plant. If the plant is successful, it can go commercial," said NMDC Director (Technical), N K Nanda.

The project involves two phases: Commencing with an AUD 35-million R&D phase funded by the Indian partners, which aims at scaling up ECT matmor-coldry technologies to deliver an integrated pilot plant capable of producing approximately two tonnes of metal per hour.

Phase-II involves commercial expansion targeting an integrated steel-making facility with a proposed capacity of five-lakh-tonne per annum at an estimated cost of AUD 300 million, the Australian company said.