Indian steel producer JSW Steel plans to import 5 million mt of iron ore annually to feed its plants in Salem and Dolvi, according to media reports.
The Indian steelmaker has been struggling with iron ore shortages for 18 months, like other steelmakers in Karnataka where a mining ban was imposed in July 2011. As a result, the company has had to operate at lower capacity utilization rates.
The Salem and Dolvi plants, with a combined capacity of 4.3 million mt per year, account for about 30 percent of JSW Steel's total capacity which stands at 14.3 million mt per year.
JSW Steel is currently sourcing raw material from Australia and South American countries.