India’s ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel Limited (AMNS) has commenced production from its captive Thakurani iron ore mine in the eastern Indian state of Odisha, according to a company statement on Friday, July 24.
The iron ore mine with estimated reserves of 179 million mt will meet around 75 percent of requirements of raw material for AMNS’s steel mill in the state of Odisha. The company also operates a 6 million mt iron ore pellet plant at Paradip in Odisha, the statement said.
In February this year, AMNS secured the iron ore mine through competitive bidding, while initially production from this asset will be around 5.5 million mt per year and subsequently ramped up to 8 million mt per year, the company said.
“The ore produced at Thakurani will feed AMNS’s steel mill facilities and support our long-term ambition to significantly grow our production capacities in India with a secure integrated supply chain,” Dilip OOmmen, CEO of AMNS, said.
“Over time our plan is to connect Thaurani to our pellet plant in Odisha through a slurry pipeline to ensure both cost effective and environmental friendly mode of mineral logistics and thereafter transport the pellets to our steel mill at Hazira in Gujarat,” he said.