Essar Steel is all set to begin production from its 12-million tonne per annum iron ore pellet plant in Odisha in the next 2-3 days, a top company official said today.
"The production from Odisha (pellet) plant will begin in 2-3 days. We are beginning with 6-million tonne per annum in phase-I and units will begin production one by one," Essar Steel (India) CEO & MD Dilip Oomen told reporters here on the sidelines of a conference organised by information portal, Steel Guru.
He added that the charging operation of the pellet plant is already complete and the total capacity will be increased to 12 million tonne per annum in a year.
Besides the pellet plant, Essar Steel is also developing an iron ore beneficiation plant at Dabuna and 253-km slurry pipeline in the state at a total investment of Rs 4,200 crore.
"The entire project will be commissioned in a year, including the beneficiation plant, whose first phase of 8-million tonne per annum capacity will be commissioned later this year," Oomen said.
The Ruias-promoted firm is also planning to set up a 6-million tonne per annum steel plant in Odisha and has acquired about 250 acres of land.
"That is the next logical step, we have plans to set up the steel plant and land acquisition is on. We have spent about Rs 250 crore so far there," he said.
The steel project requires about 1,500 acres of land and the company has recently completed the techno-economic feasibility study of the project.
Besides, the company has also applied for an iron ore mining lease for the project with the state government, a senior company official later said.