Beneficiation To Benefit Iron Ore

India’s iron ore production is expected to touch 218-220 mt in 2018-19. Odisha is expected to contribute 110-120 mt in this prospective kitty, while Karnataka is likely to contribute 34-35 mt tons of ore production. The balance is expected to come from Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and the captive miners

 

- Madhumita Mookerji & Tamajit Pain

India’s iron ore production is rising, but domestic demand is dull. Exports are sliding but imports are on an uptrend, proving that domestic mills are showing an appetite for the overseas, high-grade material. So, what is the prescription that can remedy the ills plaguing India’s iron ore industry? Beneficiation, surely? But there are challenges galore when it comes to mineral beneficiation technologies. The biggest one is in terms of finding innovative, efficient and cost-effective processes.

India’s iron ore production in 2017-18 crossed 200 million tons (mt) after a gap of 7 years. The output reached 210 mt, which is 9.37 percent higher than the 192 mt recorded for 2016-17, and was mainly propelled by increased production in the 2 states of Odisha and Karnataka. In fact, Odisha contributed over 100 mt, while Karnataka contributed around 32 mt. Odisha, which accounts for 50 percent contribution to the national output in volume terms, produced 105 mt of the mineral and despatched 125 mt in 2017-18 (against 102 mt and 120 mt respectively, in the previous fiscal of 2016-17).

The higher output in Karnataka has been attributed to the Supreme Court’s relaxations of the cap on iron ore excavations for category A and B mines. The court had shifted the cap from 30 mt to 35 mt in its order in December last year.

Where Goa is concerned, though the court had cancelled renewed leases of 88 mines in this western India state, halting iron ore extraction activities here from March 15, the action did not have much impact on the overall ore output in the last financial year, it seems.