Silica Reduction Plant Project
Union Steel Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia virtually inaugurated the Silica Reduction Plant at Dalli Mines of Bhilai Steel Plant of Steel Authority of India Limited-SAIL from New Delhi on 23 June 2023. Inaugurating the plant, Mr. Scindia said that it is the only steel plant in the world, which has the capacity to make the world's longest single rail of 130 meters. He said that at present the capacity of the plant is to produce 6 MT of crude steel per annum and there are plans to increase its capacity to 6.8 MT in the near future.
This beneficiation plant is set up to reduce the silica content from iron ore having size less than 1 mm having high silica gangue (Bhilai Steel Plant). The beneficiation plant is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and aims at enhancing the quality of iron ore supplied to Bhilai Steel Plant. This will increase the annual production of hot metal from the blast furnace. In addition, coke consumption and carbon emissions will come down.
Advantages of SAIL's Silica Reduction Plant
- This enables SAIL to utilize low-grade ore from Dalli mines through beneficiation process.
- About 80 per cent of the iron ore reserves present in the mine have already been utilised.
- The newly inaugurated plant will improve the iron (Fe) content by 62-64 per cent and reduce the silica content by 2-3 per cent.
- The Silica Reduction Plant has been set up with an investment of about Rs 149 crore and is equipped with state-of-the-art beneficiation equipment.
- Its operation will increase iron ore supply to BSP, which will lead to higher annual production from blast furnace, reduce coke consumption and reduce carbon emissions.
- Sail, functioning under the Ministry of Steel, is one of the leading steel producers in India with an annual capacity of about 20 million tonnes.