Nagarnar steel plant in Bastar achieves highest-ever hot metal output at 11,101 tonnes

RAIPUR:

NMDC Steel Ltd.(NSL), Nagarnar plant of Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region has marked a record-breaking performance on June 22, across several operational units at its integrated steel plant.

The company registered its highest-ever hot metal output at 11,101 tonnes, operating at 117% of the blast furnace’s rated capacity. This was complemented by peak efficiencies across departments, including a best-ever blast furnace (BF) coke yield of 79%, following improvements in coke cutter performance. The plant achieved a shift-highest hot metal production of 3,759 tonnes during the C-shift, breaking the earlier shift record of 3,729 tonnes achieved on April 14, 2025.

The day also saw enhanced material handling and throughput, with coal reclaiming to silo crossing 10,000 tonnes and sinter transfer to the blast furnace reaching a new benchmark of 18,203 tonnes. Iron Ore Lump (IOL) transfer touched 5,910 tonnes surpassing previous highest records. NSL’s Top Recovery Turbine (TRT) hit its designed limit of 16.4 megawatts (MW), maximizing energy recovery and potentially saving the company over Rs.

60 lakh in electricity costs per month.On the oxygen front, the plant’s oxygen generating unit achieved an enhanced supply of 34,000 normal cubic meters per hour (Nm³/hr), exceeding the contractual value and enabling high-volume, continuous operations. The Steel Melting Shop (SMS) recorded 52 heats tapped, producing 9,400 tonnes of liquid steel. Additionally, the By-Product Plant (BPP) saw its sulphur unit reach the highest daily output of the financial year at 1,000 kilograms.Amitava Mukherjee, CMD, NMDC Steel Ltd., said, “For a young plant like NSL, this milestone reflects the strength of teamwork and synergy across departments. Every unit has played a vital role in achieving this record, and together, we are steadily progressing toward our vision of becoming a world-class steel producer.”