Lloyds expects Konsari pellet plant’s Phase-1 to be ready by March end

 

 

 

GADCHIROLI, which was once the most backward district of Maharashtra, is fast emerging as the hub of industrial activity. After Surjagad iron ore mining and inauguration of the Direct Reduced Iron (DRI), now Lloyds Metals and Energy Ltd (LMEL) is expecting to commission the Phase-1 of its pellet plant at Konsari by the end of March 2025. However, this will just be one more step in the larger plan of LMEL. According to officials, the company expects Phase-2 of its pellet plant to be commissioned by the end of the year 2025. Further, it expects the Integrated Steel Plant at Konsari in Gadchiroli district to be ready by the year 2029. Parallely, the work on another Integrated Steel Plant at Ghugus in adjoining Chandrapur district will start and may be completed even before that of the plant at Konsari. The overall investment by the company may run into a massive Rs 46,000 crore-plus with direct employment to over 15,000 persons and much more indirect employment.

 

In a way, the plan is such that it will galvanise the economy of Gadchiroli district as well as the entire Vidarbha region. During a recent visit to the Konsari plant of LMEL, ‘The Hitavada’ came to know about the company’s grand plans for Konsari and Ghugus. Already, the company is operating iron ore mines at Surjagad in Gadchiroli district. What was once an isolated and feared territory, Gadchiroli is now buzzing with activity and trucks transporting iron ore from Surjagad to Konsari. At Konsari, where the DRI plant was inaugurated at the hands of Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister on January 1, 2025, a lot of construction activity is visible with big cranes, trucks, and skilled manpower deployed in action. Guru Prasad, Senior General Manager, Pellet Plant; M Satish Kumar, General Manager (Projects); Lt Col Ramnath Swamy, General Manager (Administration), briefed ‘The Hitavada’ on site at Konsari on the company’s plans. According to the senior officers, LMEL has plans to lay an 88-km long slurry pipeline from Surjagarh mines to the Konsari pellet plant.

 

The work is already in progress. The slurry coming from the mines will be stored in four huge storages under construction at Konsari. As the work of the pipeline progresses, the truck transport will reduce gradually. From Konsari, where the raw material will be processed, the finished pellets will be transported to Kelzar railway station, from where the rakes will go to Ballarshah station for connectivity with the main line. Besides the Surjagarh-Konsari, around 1000+ km long Surjagarh-Dighi Port slurry pipeline is being visualised. At the Konsari plant, several initiatives have been taken and some more are being planned. Already, 4 MW power is being generated after processing flue gas in a waste heat recovery boiler at DRI plant, said an officer. There are two reservoirs on campus including one for the treated water that is released later in Wainganga.

 

“The water, after treatment, is potable,” said Guru Prasad. At Hedri (Surjagarh), a CBSE-affiliated school, 100-bedded hospital, garment unit are functional and a sports academy is coming up. To encourage sports among locals and spot talent in them, a grand cricket tournament was organised by the company recently. A solar park also is proposed. At Konsari too, as the township develops, more facilities will come up. Already, a fully functional kitchen is serving food to a few thousands of workers. As part of social connect, LMEL has employed more than 40 of the surrendered Maoists in various trades. They are working in canteen, technical section, housekeeping, driving etc. According to Col Mahendra Singh, Director (Training and Development), LMEL is operating a Skill Development Centre at Konsari for the workmen in different trades. In future, he added, a Lloyds Learning Academy is proposed at Gadchiroli where emphasis will be training locals for various trades and equipping them with skills that can make them employable even outside Lloyds.