State-run miner NMDC has commissioned an integrated iron ore processing, slurry pipeline and pellet-making project in Chhattisgarh at an investment of Rs. 54.27 bn. The project is designed to expand the company’s presence across the iron ore value chain, from mining and beneficiation to transportation and pellet production.

The facilities include a new iron ore processing plant at Bacheli, a 15 mn tonne per annum slurry pipeline and a 2 MTPA pellet plant at Nagarnar. The Ministry of Steel announced the commissioning in a press release, describing the project as a major addition to NMDC’s processing capabilities.

The 135-km pipeline will transport processed iron ore concentrate from Bacheli to Nagarnar, offering an alternative to road movement. It passes through 61 villages across the Bastar and Dantewada districts and is also intended to reduce NMDC’s dependence on railways for transporting processed ore.

The new facilities will enable NMDC to process iron ore fines and slimes generated at its Bailadila mines into concentrate, which will then be converted into pellets. The pellet plant uses Straight Grate Induration technology to produce material for steelmaking, allowing the company to make greater use of by-products from its mining operations.

The commissioning adds a value-added product to NMDC’s portfolio and supports its broader expansion and diversification strategy. The company is working towards increasing its iron ore production capacity to 100 mn tonnes in the long term, while the new project strengthens its operational links between mining, processing, transportation and pellet production.