SAIL seeks approval from the Union environment ministry for setting up a two million tpa greenfield iron ore pellet plant at Jharkhand.

The state-run steel maker will invest Rs 2,388 crore. It has proposed to set up this plant within the premises of its existing integrated project at Bokaro, in the state. Also, SAIL will set up a 0.768 million tonne top charged coke oven battery unit at the same location.

The iron ore required for these additional facilities will be sourced from SAIL’s mines at Bolani, in Orissa and Kiriburu and Meghataburu deposits in Jharkhand. Limestone will be sourced from quarries of Kuteshwar in Madhya Pradesh and Bhawanathpur in Jharkhand and dolomite from Tulsidamar quarries also in Jharkhand.

For the project, Rs 167.18 crore has been budgeted towards environmental measures from the total cost of Rs 2,388 core.

SAIL has also planned to ramp up output at its Gua deposits to 10 million tpa from the present 2.4 million tpa; Meghataburu to 6.5 million tpa from 4.3 million tpa as of now; Bolani mines to 10 million tpa from 4.1 million tpa.