India: Heating of blast furnace starts at NMDC's Nagarnar steel plant

Heating up of stoves for the blast furnace (BF) has started at the Nagarnar Integrated Steel Plant, owned by NMDC, SteelMint learnt from reliable sources. The proposed date for the much-awaited start of the BF is 15 June, 2023.

However, SteelMint understands the sinter plant is facing some issues at present and this development may delay the commissioning of the BF slightly.

However, all other processes aligned with the start of the blast furnace are ready.

The operation of coke oven battery No. 2 (COB2#) started in the third week of April. The first COB was commissioned in late October last year.

Currently, whatever met coke is being produced from both COBs is being sold by NMDC Steel Limited (NSL), the holding company of NISP, in the merchant market. While some BF-grade is going to SAIL, others materials like breeze coke and coke fines are being sold in the merchant market.

NISP's coke oven batteries along with the two coke dry cooling plants (CDCPs) were the turnkey projects executed by Bhilai Engineering Corp (BEC) as leader with Ukraine-based Giprokoks (GPK), Ukrindustry (CUI) and IFG Concord as partners.

As per the Government of India's Preliminary Information Memorandum and Request for Expression of Interest for Strategic Divestment of NMDC Steel, the plant was likely to be commissioned in March 2023.

In line with the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approval, NISP is in the process of being demerged from NMDC into a separate company, Nagarnar Steel Limited (NSL). Subsequent to the demerger shares of NSL will be listed on BSE, NSE and CSE.

The 3-mntpa plant will have a product mix that includes pig iron, HR coils/plates/sheets of various specifications, automotive steel and other items.