NMDC’s Nagarnar steel plant (NSP), located in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district, has celebrated a significant achievement by officially commencing production, as confirmed by company officials. In an unexpected turn of events, the plant managed to produce its final product, the HR (hot rolled) Coil, just nine days after the initial production of hot metal.
This steel plant, with a production capacity of 3 million tonnes per annum, belongs to the National Mineral Development Corporation, a central public sector undertaking. The project’s realisation required an estimated investment of approximately Rs 24,000 crore, encompassing an extensive land area of 1,980 acres in Nagarnar village, located over 300 km away from the state capital, Raipur.
A crucial turning point for the plant occurred on August 12, when Amitava Mukherjee, the acting CMD and Director of Finance for NMDC, inaugurated the plant’s blast furnace, initiating the final commissioning phase. The remarkable achievement of producing the HR Coil only nine days after the initial hot metal production was a noteworthy feat.
What further enhances the competitive edge of the Nagarnar Steel Plant is its strategic connection with the Bailadila mines in Dantewada district, located roughly 100 km from Nagarnar. This connection ensures a consistent supply of iron ore. Looking ahead, the plant envisions producing specialized steel variants to cater to the manufacturing of generators, motors, transformers, and automobiles in subsequent phases.