Monday, August 29, 2011


Small Capacity Pellet Plants for Iron Ore Fines

At the instance of the Government, the Centre for Techno-Economic Mineral Policy Options, a society set up under the aegis of Ministry of Mines, has prepared a position paper on “Development of iron ore pelletisation industry in India”. As per the paper, the main technology based on which the existing pellet plants have been set up in the country have an individual plant capacity of 3-5 million tonnes per annum. The paper further holds that in order to revolutionize pellet manufacturing in India, there is a need to develop indigenous technology based on raw materials suitable to smaller capacities of 60,000 to 150,000 tonnes per annum. In another recent technical publication titled “Relevance of Iron Ore Pelletisation Industry In India” Centre for Techno-Economic Mineral Policy Options has also held that the Indian pellitisation industry is quite different from that of the Chinese pelletisation industry and the Chinese technology and design institutes are still in the process of establishing the know how for pelletising hematite ore (which is largely used in India for steel production). In order to promote R& D efforts, the Government (through the Ministry of Steel) is providing financial assistance. As per available information, three such projects are under way with financial assistance from the Government. Data on import of technical know-how on pelletisation is not maintained.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Mines, Shri Dinsha Patel in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.

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