NMDC Ltd, a public sector iron ore mining company, has commissioned its 2 million tonne per annum (MTPA) pellet plant at Nagarnar in Chhattisgarh as part of a ₹5,427-crore integrated iron ore processing, slurry pipeline and pellet-making project.
The project connects NMDC’s iron ore operations at Bacheli with its steel plant at Nagarnar. It includes a new iron ore processing plant at Bacheli, a 15 MTPA slurry pipeline and the 2 MTPA pellet plant at Nagarnar.
Slurry pipeline links Bacheli with Nagarnar
The 135-km slurry pipeline carries 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 for steelmaking.
Pellet plant adds value to iron ore
The pellet plant uses Straight Grate Induration technology to produce pellets. The commissioning strengthens NMDC’s presence across the iron ore value chain, covering mining, beneficiation, slurry transportation and pellet production.
“This has not been an easy project to execute. It involved the processing facilities, the actual slurry pipeline and the pellet plant. But today is a red-letter day, when our collective dream is coming true,” NMDC Chairman and Managing Director, Amitava Mukherjee, said.
Project supports resource utilisation
The project adds pellets as a value-added product to NMDC’s portfolio and enables greater utilisation of iron ore fines and slimes generated from its Bailadila operations.
The slurry pipeline also provides an alternative evacuation route for processed ore and is designed to reduce road movement while lowering dependence on rail transportation.
Pipeline passes through Bastar, Dantewada
The 135-km pipeline passes through 61 villages across Bastar and Dantewada districts in Chhattisgarh.
It provides a dedicated link between NMDC’s Bacheli operations and Nagarnar, supporting the movement of processed iron ore concentrate to the pellet plant and steel-making facilities.
NMDC targets long-term capacity growth
The project forms 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.
The integrated infrastructure is expected to support NMDC’s efforts to increase value addition, optimise ore evacuation and strengthen its position across the iron ore-to-steel value chain.