Rama Krishna Sangem
NMDC Steel Ltd. (NSL) marked a historic day on June 22, 2025, by achieving record-breaking performance 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.
In addition, 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, said a press release from NMDC on Tuesday.
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), maximising energy recovery and potentially saving the company over ₹60 lakh in electricity costs per month.
Amitava: Team work at world class steel producer
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, while the Tundish Casting (TSC) unit achieved 54 heats the highest so far with Tundish No. 06 alone casting 29 heats in a single day. Additionally, the By-Product Plant (BPP) saw its sulphur unit reach the highest daily output of the financial year at 1,000 kilograms.
Commenting on the milestone, Amitava Mukherjee, CMD, NMDC and 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. My hearty congratulations to the entire team”.
NSL is moving toward full-scale capacity utilisation, energy optimisation, and synchronized operations pushing the boundaries of what a young steel plant can accomplish in record time, said the press release.
