The Department of Investment & Public Asset Management (DIPAM) under the Ministry of Finance has come out with the shortlist of interested bidders for divestment of the 3 mnt/year NMDC Steel Limited (NSL) in Chhattisgarh. Companies shortlisted for the transaction are JSW Steel, AM/NS India, JSPL, Essar Steel and Adani Enterprises, as per sources.
According to the demerger scheme approved in October 2022, the transaction is for strategic disinvestment of the government’s 50.79% equity stake in NSL along with transfer of management control.
NMDC Steel Limited is a 3 mnt per annum integrated steel plant at Nagarnar in the district of Bastar in Chhattisgarh. The BF-BOF, thin slab caster-online tunnel furnace and hot strip mill route has been adopted for the project.
The requirements of iron ore (fines and lump) for the proposed steel plant has been planned to be met from the Bailadila iron ore mines of NMDC, while coking coal will be imported through Vizag Port.
The 1.76 mnt coke oven plant has two batteries, a coal dry cooling plant and 83,627 Nm3 by-product plant. The first coke oven battery has started operations and coke is being stored and sold to interested customers, sources informed SteelMint. Coke dust and tar are also generating cash for the company.
The 4500m3, 3.32 mnt per annum blast furnace (BF) is accompanied by 3 X 1700 tonnes per day (TPD) pig casting machines, coal dust injection (CDI) and top gas pressure recover turbine-TRT (18 MW). The 3 mnt steel melting shop (SMS) has 2 x 175 tonne BOF converter. The progress rate for equipment erection is 100% for the BF, SMS, caster and hot strip mill, while it is around 91% for the coke oven battery.
While the commissioning date (commencement of first coke pushing in the first battery) was 28 October last, as reported by SteelMint, hot metal production from BF is expected by 15 March 2023. Start of blowing in SMS and first HR coil roll out is expected by 31 March, according to NMDC sources.
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