SAIL looks for Partners to utilize its Low Grade Fines

India’s largest public sector steel maker, SAIL looks for conversion agents for its low grade fines.

Bhubaneswar: Public sector and major steel-making industry, SAIL is looking for partners for utilizing its unused low grade Iron ore fines stashed at its captive mines for Pellets making. As per the plan, the conversion partners would convert the low grade fines into pellets and return back 80% or 90% of it to SAIL.

“Our Raw material Division (RMD) at Kolkata is looking for partners (Pellet makers) for converting the low grade fines generated at our captive mines located in several states. The partners would convert the fines into Pellets and return 80-90% to us”, said Sisir Kumar Acharya, Executive Director (Projects) of Rourkela Steel Plant, SAIL.

He said that currently as much as 10 MnT of low grade Iron ore fines are lying at several captive mines of the company, located in several states including Chiria (Jharkhand) & Bolani (Odisha). Out of this about 3-4 MnT of low grade fines are located at its Odisha mines.

However, it is not decided whether the partners will be selected through auction or other modes of selection. But SAIL’s RMD has started initial conversations with several Pellets makers for this and after selection of partners SAIL will sign MoU with them, he added further.

SAIL currently has 5 plants  namely Bokaro, Rourkela, Salem, Bhilai & Durgapur steel plant.

SteelMint assessed that SAIL has already been in some kind of contract with KIOCL for conversion of Iron ore fines to Pellets. In the month of Jan,2014, SAIL has supplied around 10 rakes and 4 rakes in the month of Feb, 2014 from its mines located in Odisha and Jharkhand.