NMDC is expecting its turnover to increase six-fold to Rs 35,000 crore by 2014. The public sector undertaking has lined up investments to the tune of about Rs 23,000 crore. This includes the Rs 14,000-crore integrated steel plant being set up in Chhattisgarh, a Rs 1,400 crore pig iron processing plant, capacity expansion of three of its mines at a cost of Rs 4,500 crore and setting up of two pelletisation plants involving an investment of Rs 1,350 crore.
In 2007-08, NMDC posted a turnover of Rs 5,711 crore, registering a growth of 36 per cent over previous year's Rs 4,186 crore. It is confident of achieving a similar growth rate in the current year.
According to NMDC chairman and managing director Rana Som, the corporation's iron ore production would touch 50 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) by 2014. Added to this would be other mining operations, which would together account for a revenue of Rs 13,000 crore.
This apart, NMDC envisages an income of Rs 5,000 crore from its proposed iron ore beneficiation and two pelletisation plants. It expects an annual turnover of Rs 18,000 crore from the Chhattisgarh steel plant.
Som said the foundation stone for the 3-mtpa steel plant at Nagarnar in Chhattisgarh would be laid on September 3. Environmental clearances for the project were expected by May 2009. Thereafter, the plant would be commissioned in 36 months. "This will be the fastest greenfield steel plant to be set up in the country," he said, adding that usually it takes six years to establish a plant of that size.
Addressing a press conference here on Friday, Som said an 800,000 tpa HIsmelt technology pig iron processing plant would be set up at Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh at a cost of Rs 1,400 crore. The technology has been developed by HIsmelt Corporation Pty of Australia, which has given the conceptual report.
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He said that following the merger of the Andhra Pradesh-based Sponge Iron India limited (SIIL) with NMDC, the capacity of SIIL would be expanded from the existing 200,000 tpa to 1 mtpa over a period of 36 months at a cost of Rs 800 crore.
The memorandum of understanding with Rio Tinto, the London-based mining group, to form an equal joint venture to explore minerals in India and abroad would help NMDC in getting infrastructure arrangements in Australia. The corporation is also installing a 10mw windmill in Karnataka at a cost of Rs 70 crore. The capacity of the mill is expandable to 20 mw.
Diamond mining: Som said NMDC would restart the operations of the Panna diamond mining project as the Supreme Court, in its order dated August 13, 2008, had approved resumption of operations. The project was expected to get all the necessary clearances by September 8. Following this, the production capacity would be increased to 100,000 carat from the existing capacity of 70,000 carat. The diamond mining activities at Panna were stopped from August 22, 2005, according to the directive of the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board. The mining area is located in the Panna National Park and Panna (Gangao) Wildlife Sanctuary .