• Investment World
• eWorld
• Brand Line
• Mentor
• Life
• Brand Quest
• The New Manager
• BL Club
• Smartbuy

Stocks

• Quotes
• SE Diary
• Scoreboard
• Open-End Mutual Fund

Cross Currency

• Rates
  
  

Shipping

• Ports
  
  

Archives

• Yesterday
• Datewise
• Resources
• In Focus
• In Depth
• Events 2007

Group Sites

• The Hindu
• The Hindu ePaper
• Business Line
• Business Line ePaper
• Sportstar
• Frontline
• The Hindu eBooks
• The Hindu Images

S. Shanker

Mumbai, Dec. 3 Speciality steelmaker Mukand Ltd has entered into an exclusive licence agreement with Kobe Steel of Japan to execute EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contracts of Kobe’s coal-based iron making technology projects in India.

Kobe has developed an innovative technology to produce high quality iron nuggets.

The nuggets are ideal feed for steel making in electric arc furnace because of its high quality (96-97 per cent Fe, 2.5-3 per cent Carbon), high purity (slag free) and high density, resulting in cost reduction and higher productivity in steel making as compared to sponge iron.

The nuggets are stable, inflammable and easy for handling (5-25 mm size).

Kobe will offer its expertise in process technology, engineering, supervision, operation and commissioning and training, while Mukand will contribute in terms of design and project execution.

Depending on the location of the plant, laboratory tests of various raw materials would be done by Kobe to finalise technological parameters before designing the plant.

The partners aim to target mine owners and small steel makers as the technology uses non-coking coal in a rotary hearth furnace. Mr Jarnail Singh, Chief, Projects and Business Development, said production cost will be lower by about 20 per cent, though the plant cost will remain more or less that of the conventional route – blast furnace, coke oven and sinter plant.

“Mine owners stand to benefit coal fines can be used. This process provides immense opportunities to them for value addition, as compared to other process for producing pellets and sponge iron.”

The quality of nuggets produced is superior to sponge iron and equivalent to pig iron produced from coke oven-sinter plant and blast furnace route.

Moreover, the process can utilize iron ore fines / fine tailings from beneficiation plant which exists in abundance in India and coal fines.

It does not require coke oven and sinter plants which are essential for producing pig iron through the blast furnace route.

Kobe has single module plant of five lakh tonnes a year which requires a four hectare spread to set up, Mr Singh said.

More Stories on : Alliances & Joint Ventures | Steel

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu Business Line