ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India commissions 6 million tonne pellet plant

Capacity at Paradeep complex in Odisha reaches 12 mn tonnes, making it India's largest single-location pelletisation complex; AM/NS India's total pelletisation capacity now at 20 mn tonnes

ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India, a joint venture between ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel, commissioned its second six million tonne pellet plant on Thursday, taking the total capacity at Paradeep complex in Odisha to 12 million tonnes, making it the largest single-location pelletisation complex in India.

AM/NS India’s total pelletisation capacity now stands at 20 million tonnes with 12 million tonnes at Paradeep and eight million tonnes at Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

Dilip Oommen, chief executive officer, AM/NS India, said, “The commissioning of our second pellet plant at Paradeep is an important milestone for AM/NS India, allowing us to contribute meaningfully to India’s aim of achieving domestic steel production capacity of 300 million tonnes in the coming decade.”

AM/NS India will continue investing in Odisha, a promising hub for Indian steel production, and we are currently progressing plans for a greenfield steel plant in Odisha, he added.

Wim Van Gerven, chief operating officer, AM/NS INDIA said, “Paradeep’s pellet plant II coming on stream significantly advances our capacity to produce superior quality direct reduced iron grade pellets for domestic steel production.”

“It also supports AM/NS India’s longer-term plans to grow its national steel production up to 30 MTPA,” Gerven added.

AM/NS India is looking to take the capacity at Hazira in Gujarat to around 18 million tonnes. At Kendrapara in Odisha, it is looking to set up a 12-million-tonne greenfield steel plant.