NMDC commissions ₹5,427-crore integrated iron ore processing, slurry pipeline, pellet plant project

State-owned NMDC has commissioned a 2 million tonne per annum (MTPA) pellet plant at Nagarnar in Chhattisgarh as part of a ₹5,427-crore integrated project covering iron ore processing, slurry transportation and pellet production.

The project connects NMDC's iron ore operations at Bacheli with its steel plant at Nagarnar and includes a new iron ore processing plant at Bacheli, a 15 MTPA slurry pipeline and the 2 MTPA pellet plant at Nagarnar, the company said in a statement.

The 135-km slurry pipeline transports processed iron ore concentrate from Bacheli to Nagarnar, providing an alternative to road transportation and reducing the company's dependence on railways for evacuation of processed ore.

"Today is a day of immense pride for everyone at NMDC. 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—a day we have been waiting for a long time. This is the day when our collective dream is coming true," NMDC Chairman and Managing Director Amitava Mukherjee said.

The facilities will allow NMDC to process iron ore fines and slimes generated at its Bailadila mines into concentrate and subsequently convert the concentrate into pellets.

The pellet plant uses Straight Grate Induration technology to manufacture pellets for use in steelmaking.

The commissioning marks NMDC's expansion across the iron ore value chain, from mining and beneficiation to slurry transportation and pellet production. It also adds pellets as a value-added product to its portfolio and enables greater utilisation of fines and slimes generated from its Bailadila operations.

The slurry pipeline passes through 61 villages in Bastar and Dantewada districts and provides a dedicated link between NMDC's Bacheli operations and Nagarnar.

The company said the project will reduce the movement of processed ore by road, provide an alternative evacuation route and lower its dependence on railway transportation.