NMDC Steel Plant inches closer to go on stream in Chhattisgarh

NMDC Steel Plant (NSP) has crossed a major milestone to start its upcoming 3 million tonne per annum (MTPA) greenfield steel plant at Nagarnar in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district.

The firm has commissioned its second coke oven battery. The Coke Oven Complex consists of two batteries, of which battery no. 2 has been commissioned. Battery no.1 was commissioned in October 2022, facilitating the sequential start of subsequent key units.

The NSP officials said the plant has inched closer to go on stream and is expected to commission the blast furnace in June this year. The process will eventually culminate in the commissioning of the hot strip mill and thin slab caster in the coming months. According to officials, each battery has 67 ovens that are 7-metre tall and a Coke Dry Cooling Plant  to ensure dry quenching of coke using nitrogen. It will effectively protect against pollution and help in utilising the heat to generate power.

, they said, adding that when fully functional, the plant will have the capability to generate in-house 80 megawatt (MW) of power of its total requirement of about 296 MW.

The eco-friendly coke oven batteries will produce coking coal without releasing any toxic fumes, the officials said. The annual metallurgical coke production capacity of NSP’s coke oven complex is 1.76 million tonnes, when fully operational. Constructed at a cost of Rs 1,978 crore, the project is executed by a consortium, comprising Bhilai Engineering Corporation (BEC), Giprokoks (GPK) of Ukraine, CUI, and Concord.

NSP aims to produce 3 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of high-quality hot rolled coils, plates, and sheets annually, using state-of-the-art technology while achieving the highest level of energy efficiency. NMDC Limited, which demerged its steel business to form NMDC Steel Limited (NSL), will feed NSP from its mines located in Dantewada district.

The state-run miner operates two of its three mechanised iron ore mines in Dantewada district. The distance between the plant and mines is about 135 kilometres.

NSL was formed for setting up a 3 MTPA capacity greenfield Integrated Steel Plant based on hi-smelt technology with an estimated outlay of Rs 25,500 crore. Listed at the Bombay Stock Exchange on February 20, 2023, NSL is a central public sector enterprise with a paid-up capital of Rs 2,930 crore. The Government owns 60.79 per cent stake in the company.

The commissioning of a steel plant in Nagarnar is likely to open a new ray of hope for the people in the pocket infested by the left wing extremists. The area in and around Nagarnar was under the sway of rebels that had severely hampered the socio-economic development of the region.