Rapid depletion of high-grade iron ore reserves the world over has resulted in the growing preference for pellets in steel production, both in the electric and induction furnace route as well as primary blast furnace steelmaking, Uppalapati S.R. Raju, Head, Pellet Plants, AM/NS India observed during an insightful session at ENGAGE 2.0, SteelMint’s webinar series held recently.
India’s ambitious target of achieving 300 mnt of steelmaking capacity by FY’30 is expected to be built on a national pellet production capacity of roughly 300 mnt, or pellet production at 1.1 times of actual steel production, the expert contended.
Given the challenge of dealing with the deteriorating quality of domestic iron ore, increasing the share of pellets in steelmaking is the need of the hour, he argued.
Pellet burden in BF
Explaining how the pellet burden can be improved in blast furnace feed, the expert said that depending on quality, pellet feed in BF can be increased to 70%, and sometimes even 100%. However, with a mix of DR and BF grades, pellet feed into the BF can be maximised to 100%, given the depletion in quality of ore.
This is particularly significant given India’s overarching reliance on scale for steelmaking, which could only possibly be ensured through the integrated steelmaking route.
AM/NS India has a proven record of increasing the share of pellets in the blast furnace, sourcing increasing volumes from Odisha. The key technical advantages are superior permeability for blast furnace gases as well as minimisation of the coke ratio, he said.
AM/NS India has increased its pellets production to nearly 11 mnt from its plants along the eastern coastal stretch, and a bulk of the material is being transported to its Hazira plant in Gujarat as predominantly BF feed. The steel major already has around 8 mnt of DRI pellets production over and above 12 mnt of BF grade, while the plan is to double both DR and BF grades production in the near term, Raju observed.
BF grade pellets are anticipated to dominate the market in the coming years, he opined. Given iron ore grade depletion, magnetite remains the most preferred source for manufacturing pellets due to its high iron content.
Technical challenges
Commenting about high-grade pellets production in the country, the expert observed that AM/NS India has produced material with Fe content of 66.2%.
However, if the ore becomes costly, as has happened after recent rounds of iron ore auctions in Odisha, rejection as part of beneficiation also involves cost burden and, therefore, today AM/NS India is trying to optimise and is operating with Fe 65.8% pellets, with the cost dynamics in view.
Therefore, the steel major is trying to do slight beneficiation instead of 100% beneficiation, the expert informed.
Increase in moisture levels, inadequacy of filtration equipment with respect to fall in quality of iron ore, difficulty in green balling and development of cracks due to improper firing are some of the key technical challenges confronting Indian pellet producers, he observed.
Changing over from a conventional filtration system to advanced filtration to handle variations in input materials is a ready answer to many problems. Besides, automation in balling will help in better control and reduce size variation in green pellet balls resulting in better pellets generation and layered screening, the expert pointed out.
Apart from bentonite, usage of organic binders to help improve balling with low grade ore and simultaneously reduce moisture is an immediate requirement.
The expert opined that government support in the technological domain, especially in R&D, could help smoothen the transition for Indian pellet and steel producers.
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