NMDC Steel Limited (NSL), an arm of Indian state-run miner NMDC Limited, fired up a blast furnace at the weekend, marking the commencement of production at its 3 million mt per year greenfield steel mill in Chhattisgarh state, a company statement said on Tuesday, August 15.
The 4,506 cubic meter blast furnace commenced operations with the loading of 1,700 mt of coke, 985 mt of sinter, 270 mt of iron ore and 245 mt of fluxes, the statement said.
The blast furnace was designed and built by Tata Projects Limited with technology supplied by Danieli Corus, Netherlands, and consultancy services from MECON Limited.
The Indian government has already approved privatization of the steel mill via the off-loading of a majority equity stake in the project in favour of private investors.