India: NINL Likely to Start Steel Billet Production Shortly

The steel maker plans to start billet production in next two month’s time.

Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s Kalinganagar based steel major -Neelachal Ispat Nigam Limited (NINL), will focus more on steel billet production in near future. A highly placed official of the company shared detail plan on steel billet production. He said that, “We have 1.1 MnT pa hot metal production capacity. Currently we produce more amount of Pig Iron. But very soon NINL will focus on steel billet. Within two month’s time we will start steel billet production.”

“Our plan is very clear. By October our steel billet production will start. After that pig iron production will come down and steel billet production will go up. Out of the 1.1 MnTpa capacity, we plan to produce 85% steel billet and rest 15% Pig iron.”, he added.

NINL plans to convert steel billets into different finished product like wire rods and rebar. But for this, NINL have no specific facilityso, it will depend on other players. In this regard, Company already started discussion with different players. Rastriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) is one of them. Company very hopeful for early an agreement in this regard.

It will be strategic kind of agreement with both the parties. NINL will provide steel billet and in return will get NINL branded product. That product will be sold by NINL marketing team in different markets. The Strategic Partner role will be limited to converts steel billets into finished products, headed.

NINL to start operations at its captive iron ore mine early next year-Apr 2019

NINL has a captive iron ore mine at Koira of Sundergarh district, Odisha. It has 102 million tonnes of iron ore reserve which is sufficient to feed the NINL plant. For this iron ore mine, company secures environmental clearances and also signed mines lease agreement with Government of Odisha. It also secured Stage-1 forest clearance from Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF), Government of India.

NINL expects Stage-2 forest clearance by October, 2018. If everything goes according to our plan then we will definitely start production from our captive iron ore mine by March or April of 2019, a top company official told this while revealing the mines plan of NINL.

Company got clearance from State Government for 2 MnTPA productions from Koira mine. As per current production status of the company, it hardly requires 1.5 MnT PA iron ore, 2 MTPA will sufficient for it. But, Company also has strong plan for expansion in future. NINL aims to be a largest integrated steel plant of Kalinga Nagar region.