NMDC commissions ₹5,427 cr iron ore processing project in Chhattisgarh

The integrated project includes an iron ore processing plant at Bacheli, a 135-km slurry pipeline and a 2 MTPA pellet plant at Nagarnar in Chhattisgarh

State-run NMDC Ltd has commissioned its 2 million tonne per annum (MTPA) pellet plant at Nagarnar in Chhattisgarh as part of a ₹5,427 crore integrated project comprising an iron ore processing plant, slurry pipeline and pellet plant connecting its iron ore operations at Bacheli with its steel plant at Nagarnar.

 

The integrated project includes a new iron ore processing plant at Bacheli, a 15 MTPA slurry pipeline and the 2 MTPA pellet plant at Nagarnar. The 135-km slurry pipeline will carry processed iron ore concentrate from Bacheli to Nagarnar, providing an alternative to transporting the material by road.

 

The facilities will enable NMDC to process iron ore fines and slimes from its Bailadila mines into concentrate and subsequently convert the concentrate into pellets. The pellets produced will be supplied to steel manufacturers for producing steel.

 

"The commissioning strengthens NMDC's presence across the iron ore value chain, from mining and beneficiation to slurry transportation and pellet production," the company said.

 

The maiden production from the pellet plant adds a new value-added product to NMDC's portfolio and allows the company to make greater use of iron ore fines and slimes generated from its Bailadila operations.

 

The slurry pipeline passes through 61 villages in Bastar and Dantewada districts and is designed to reduce the movement of processed ore by road, provide an alternative mode of evacuation and lower dependence on the Railways. It also provides a dedicated link between NMDC's Bacheli operations and Nagarnar.

 

The project is part of NMDC's broader expansion and diversification strategy as the company works towards increasing its iron ore production capacity to 100 million tonnes in the long term.