sponge iron industry –past-present-future - SIMA

UPGRADING QUALITY OF INPUTS TO AUGMENT THE VIABILITY OF
COAL BASED SPONGE IRON SECTOR IN INDIA
It is an acknowledged fact that the plant availability
in Indian Sponge Iron Sector has been under strain
due to inconsistent supply of raw materials like iron
ore and non-coking coal, both quantitatively and
qualitatively. In view of this there is a strong case to
plead for:
a. Earmarking rich grade iron ore deposits to
clusters of sponge iron plants.
b. Providing right incentives towards utilization of
low grade iron ore fines on large scale through
adequate beneficiation & pelletizing facilities.
c. Priority allocation of high grade non-coking Coal
Blocks to sponge iron plants with an overriding
consideration that such blocks serve the purpose
of power generation also through waste heat
gases of sponge iron kilns.
d. Ensuring better grade coal linkages to sponge
iron plants in the absence of allocation of Coal
Blocks, and
e. Putting up state-of-the-art coal washeries to
beneficiate mined coal/linkages to prepare coal
of right specification for feeding to sponge iron
plants.
Sponge Iron in India : Production Scenario
There has been an inspiring track record of growth
of sponge iron industry in India during the last
decade. Today India is the global leader as the largest
producer of sponge iron.
The following are recently recorded production
figures:-
Year Production of TotalA + B
Sponge Iron (in Million
(in Million Tons) Tons)
Gas Coal
Based Based
A B
2008 - 09 5.28 16.05 21.33
2009 - 10 6.17 16.82 22.99
Source : SIMA
B. L. Agrawal, Managing Director, Godawari Power & Ispat Limited
In view of significantly high level of production,
Sponge Iron has become now a key ingredient for
secondary steel making.
While enhancing the production of sponge iron
through gas based route is quite restricted owing to
limited availability of gas, our mainstay would be coal
based sponge iron.
The impediments of Indian Sponge Iron Industry
Presently the sponge iron industry in India is
constrained due to:-
1. Low metallization of DRI because of relatively low
grade iron ore available in the market.
2. Short campaign life of DRI Kilns due to the use
of low grade iron ore compounded with higher
ash content of linked non-coking coal.
3. Generation of high volume of ash and coal char
in DRI process posing threat to environment, and
4. Generation of substantial sponge iron fines
particularly where soft iron ore is used.
Iron Ore for Sponge Iron production:-
While there are adequate reserves of iron ore, our
infrastructural supports are not geared to meet the
demand of DRI plants. Excessive fines are generated
in the process of crushing iron ore to produce the
required size range of calibrated lumps. These fines
are not gainfully utilized and presently exported at
throw away prices. To enhance our resource base
the solution lies in beneficiating the fines to above
65% Fe content and pelletizing the same.
Pelletization is the agglomeration of very fine, often
beneficiated, raw materials with spherical products
of preferably 9 – 16 mm diameter with defined
properties for use in DRI kilns.
Briefly, the Pelletization process consists of
i. Feed Preparation
ii. Green Ball Production
JANUARY-2011/2